If you have access to the internet, you can use the Google Transit app that is now linked with the Maui Bus system. Just go to www.mauicounty.gov/bus and click on “Maui Bus Maps and Google Transit.” Then enter the start and destination addresses for your trip. The app will tell you how close you are to a bus stop, which bus(es) you’ll need to take, and how long the entire trip will take. This way you can plan your ride before heading to the bus stop. If you don’t have access to the internet, you can call the Maui Bus directly at (808) 871-4838 between 6 a.m. – 11 p.m. daily.

You may have seen one of the County’s paratransit vehicles, which serve disabled riders and also bear the Maui Bus logo. These are smaller vehicles of varying sizes with the Maui Bus logo, that do not have route numbers posted on the front of the bus. If not, perhaps the driver did not see you, if you were not waiting near the bus stop sign post or were standing in a shaded area. If the bus you are waiting for is delayed, you can call the Maui Bus hotline at 871-4838 and ask the dispatcher for an update. Roberts Hawaii runs the operations for Maui Bus, and staffs the phones from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. You can also visit www.mauicounty.gov/bus for detailed information on bus routes, stops and fares, as well as the Google Transit ride-mapping feature. Maui Bus is the fastest-growing public transportation system in the nation, and I’m glad you are taking advantage of Maui County’s excellent transportation system.

There is a wide variety of permissible signs and banners, as allowed in Chapter 16.13 of the Maui County Code. The sizes for certain types of signs are limited by the building setbacks and frontages, as well as by zoning districts. Individual sign permits have a $55 filing fee. Banners or promotional signs can be hung for up to 14 days and require a $25 filing fee. For multi-tenant business buildings, a comprehensive signage plan is required. To view the sign ordinance online, go to www.mauicounty.gov/council, then select Laws/Resolutions and Maui County Code - Chapter 16.13. For more info: call 270-7735 or visit the Planning Director’s Office at 250 S. High Street next to the County Building.

Yes, the FY 2014 budget proposal I will be submitting to the Council in a few weeks will include money to address the issue of feral chickens in our community. Funds will be designated for the Maui Humane Society, which will be tasked with creating and administering a program to deal with the animal control issue that has been plaguing the island for many years. Ironically, a recent power outage near Kahului Airport was caused by none other than a wild chicken that came into contact with a transformer near the rental car facility. The power outage caused brief flight delays, manual security screenings, and stair boardings on at least four planes while motorized jetways were inoperable. The loss of electricity, which lasted about an hour, also affected rental car companies, K-Mart, the Courtyard Maui Kahului Airport Hotel and other businesses in the area.

Although gun registration has increased in Maui County, our Chief of Police confirms that Hawaii’s gun laws are among the strictest in the nation. Maui Police Department’s firearms registration specialists exercise equally strict applicant compliance procedures with fairness and professionalism. MPD allocates its resources in ways that prevent crime and apprehend those who commit crime. This entails networking with literally hundreds of law enforcement agencies and organizations locally, including the State of Hawaii Justice System, as well as nationally and internationally. MPD’s accreditation authority and a number of major police departments have commended MPD for the leadership shown by our police officers, chiefs and support staff.

The quick answer to your question is that in this case, the U.S. Post Office is not selling you anything. The more detailed answer refers back to the County ordinance that went into effect on January 11, 2011, which restricts the use of non-reusable plastic bags at the point of sale by any commercial enterprise or establishment, including sole proprietorships, joint ventures, partnerships and corporations, whether for profit or non-profit. This includes all employees of businesses, or any independent contractors associated with the businesses, that provide bags to their customers at the point of sale for the purpose of transporting groceries or other goods. The “Plastic Bag Reduction Ordinance” enacted in Maui County was designed to help protect the environment by drastically reducing the number of plastic bags used on a daily basis by local retailers and consumers. For more information on the ordinance, enforcement and violations, visit www.mauicounty.gov/PlasticBags.

The charging stations fronting the County building were installed by the Mayor’s Office and the Public Works Dept. using a mix of state and County funds. A key “fob,” or charging unit key, is required to operate the charging stations. The key fobs can be obtained for a $20 cash deposit from the Maui County Business Resource Center in Maui Mall in Kahului; identification is required. There are actually two different chargers mounted side by side: one is a Level 2 charger that can be used by almost all current models of fully electric vehicles and plug in hybrids; the other is a Quick Charger. It is the only one currently on Maui. The quick chargers allow Nissan Leafs and other fully electric vehicles equipped with “Chademo” ports to charge in as little as 20 minutes. At this time there is no cost to charge your electric vehicle at the County building, but it is anticipated that a charge will be imposed once the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) issues a new MECO tariff for quick chargers and the Council approves the fee. Parking spots in front of the chargers are still subject to the two-hour limit, and one of the stalls is dedicated for electric vehicle use. The chargers are available for public use even when County offices are closed. Any questions may be directed to Maui County Energy Commissioner Doug McLeod at ph. 270-7710 or visit the County website at www.mauicounty.gov/energy.

I’m happy to say, yes! There are many ways to pay online for a variety of County services, the newest of which is your Water bill. Our Dept. of Water Supply staff worked very hard over the past few months to complete the rollout of a new billing system that will allow for monthly billing and online Water payments. You can also pay online for your trash pickup, motor vehicle registration, property tax, bicycle and moped registration, bus pass, park reservations and some commercial licenses and fees. Certain surcharges may apply based on the payment method; however, with the time and effort you save by paying online, it may be well worth the nominal charge. Some payment options include credit/debit card, and electronic checks. To see all the options, visit the County website at www.mauicounty.gov and click on “Online Services” on the left margin; then select “Pay your County Bill.” It’s that easy!

As of Jan. 2, 2013, the state Department of Transportation (DOT) and all County driver license offices began implementing Act 310, Session laws of Hawaii 2012, which affects the issuance of Hawaii State Identification Cards statewide. Applicants are required to show proof of legal name, date of birth, social security number, legal presence and proof of principal residence address. While some applying for renewal of their State ID may be able to process their renewal through the mail, others may need to join first-time applicants in bringing their legal documents to a County driver license (DMVL) office for processing. In addition to State ID cards, the County Service Center at Maui Mall administers a large number of County services such as motor vehicle registration, driver licenses and permits, commercial driver licenses, dog licenses, bicycle and moped registration, acceptance of refuse and water payments, and issuance of the initial disabled parking placards. Given the quantity and variety of services provided, we are unable to offer “front-of-line priority” at this time. However, the County has expanded the availability of State Identification services so that applications are now accepted at all seven of the County DMVL offices throughout the county including Molokai and Lanai. For more information, visit www.mauicounty.gov/dmvl and click on the left tab, “State of Hawaii Identification Cards.”

There are several ways you may be able to avoid waiting in line at all. The County’s online registration renewal system is one great option, or you can send in your payment by mail if you are renewing your registration no later than 10 working days before the expiration date. There are many other forms you can complete online as well, including applications for a duplicate title, change of address, and notice of transfer when you sell a car. Don’t forget that you can actually find out the wait times from home by using the online listing of DMVL offices with current wait times at each location. Just visit www.mauicounty.gov/dmv and click on the “Wait Times” link on the left.

Yes, the County will be holding a grand opening soon at Central Maui’s first leash-free park, in Keopuolani Park. There is a dog park in Wailea, which is managed in partnership with the County and the Wailea Community Association. And another dog park is currently being built in Makawao, through the efforts of both the County of Maui and community volunteers and donors. I am a firm believer that pet owners need to help keep their neighbors and the general public safe by either obeying the leash law, or enjoying their pet safely in the confines of a fenced area such as a dog park. This is not only a courtesy, it is an important safety issue, so we are glad to help make fenced recreational areas available to pet owners.

The Maui County Civil Defense Agency works closely with the National Weather Service (NWS) Forecast Office in Honolulu, and other agencies such as the Tsunami Warning Center of the Pacific, to issue weather and emergency-related bulletins. In general, a Watch is issued to allow time to prepare for weather threats that are anticipated but have not arrived yet. Advisories are issued when weather conditions may impact our lives in ways that are not a direct threat to life and property, but ignoring them may lead to hazardous conditions. Warnings are issued when a threat is occurring or is imminent, and immediate action is needed to protect life and property. For flood-related bulletins, the NWS issues three types of area-specific notices: Flash Flood Watch— heavy rain leading to flash flooding is possible; Flood Advisory— nuisance flooding is occurring or imminent; and Flash Flood Warning— flooding is occurring or will develop quickly; take shelter and/or move to high ground. To learn more, visit www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl.

No, it will not provide insurance. However, Tropic Care Maui County will offer free health care services by military personnel participating in a rapid deployment exercise. The free services will be performed at six locations throughout Maui County by approximately 400 uniformed personnel including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, ophthalmologists, dentists and others from active and reserved ranks of the armed forces around the United States. The free health care services will include physical examinations, vision checks (and single-lens glasses), basic dental care and nutrition counseling, among others. The clinics will not accept advance appointments and participants will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Identification will not be required, and no fees will be charged. Non-citizens, individuals with no local address and those with no health insurance are welcome to attend. Please keep in mind that participants will probably need to wait in line, so come prepared with your own water, snacks, supplies and other comforts in case seating and shade are not available at a particular clinic. Tropic Care Maui County is a partnership between my office, the County of Maui, the State Dept. of Health, and the Innovative Readiness Training Program of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. For more information on locations, dates and times, visit www.mauicounty.gov/TropicCare or call 270-7855 and ask for the Tropic Care hotline.

No. You are responsible for bringing any forms and records that you need signed by medical personnel. The members of the U.S. military that are providing these free clinics do not have these forms on hand; however, they have said that they will sign any appropriate forms that people have with them that pertain to the services received. These include the Students Health Record-Form 12, the Sports/Athletic Physical Examination Form, College Entry Physical Examination Form, dental health certificates and the Physical Examination form for children and special needs adults entering foster care homes. If you have any questions about forms call the Mayor's Office at 270-7855 and ask to be transferred to the Tropic Care hotline, which is staffed by Tropic Care Coordinator and former Council Vice-Chair Joe Pontanilla. He can get your answers or refer you to someone who can. Online, visit www.mauicounty.gov/TropicCare.

Recently, the Maui Axis Deer Working Group was awarded State grant funding from the Hawaii Invasive Species Council, and just completed the interview process for a coordinator position. The Working Group, a multi-stakeholder group of farmers, ranchers, hunters, resort industry and State and County reps, will work closely with the new coordinator to finalize a draft management plan, map areas which are affected, devise strategies for deer control in various regions, and help mitigate damage. The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development is currently funding a grant to the Maui Axis Deer Harvesting Co-op, which was formed late last year and is already on the job with deer control on specific properties. Part of their goal is to explore the feasibility of harvesting venison that may be USDA-certified and made available commercially in markets and restaurants. OED also supplied funding support to the Working Group. Should any resident be experiencing problems with Axis deer, they are encouraged to contact Agricultural Specialist Kenneth Yamamura at 270-7808, or Maui County Environmental Coordinator Rob Parsons at 270-8250

The State has jurisdiction of coastal land up to the high water mark (also referred to as the vegetation line or the “high wash of the waves”). In this case, it sounds like private property (the condos) abuts State property. Unless permission is given by the private property owners, crossing their property could be considered trespassing. Our Planning Department works to assure both lateral and perpendicular access to private property, which can sometimes be a condition of a permit, subdivision or change in zoning— often there is a dedicated easement or parcel through or right next to a property, specifically for access. It’s important to remember that along some natural, undeveloped coastlines, the beach is impassible during high tide. Since beach access at high tide is not necessarily guaranteed, it’s a good idea to check the tide chart before planning a beach walk.

Just as with other municipalities, the County of Maui issues government bonds for sale to the public to raise capital for projects. These bonds are rated by bond rating agencies based on the County’s overall fiscal well-being, which results in the equivalent of a credit score. For the first time in history, Maui County has the highest bond rating in the state, just under a AAA rating. Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings give the County of Maui a AA+ bond rating, while Moody’s Investor Service has bestowed a Aa1 rating. These excellent ratings allow the County to issue bonds at a much lower interest rate, which in turn saves the County and the taxpayers millions of dollars in interest costs.

First off, any graffiti vandalizing County property will be cleaned up by County staff. Private property owners are responsible for taking care of their own facilities. After being forwarded your inquiry, MPD officers drove through Paia, up along Baldwin Avenue and out to Haiku to assess the level of graffiti on both public and private property. They observed limited graffiti in alleyways in Paia town, a more conspicuous site at the former sugar mill, and some graffiti on one side of the second concrete revetment along Hana Highway. The officers also checked reports from 2012 and found there were a total of three cases reported in the Upcountry district, which includes the North Shore area. There were seven cases of graffiti reported in Kahului in 2012, and three cases in Wailuku. No arrests were made, due to reports citing “unknown responsibles.” While it is often difficult to catch perpetrators at work, a unique MPD program targeting juvenile first-time offenders helps clean up the graffiti. Project P.O.I. (“Positive Outreach Interventions”) is a program co-funded by County and federal funds, and offers young first-time offenders the opportunity to voluntarily write a letter of apology and an essay about their involvement in the offense, attend a “second-chance” class with their parents, and participate in four Saturdays of supervised community service including graffiti cleanup, taro patch restoration in Iao Valley, rock wall rebuilding at the ancient Hawaiian fishpond in Kihei, and yardwork for senior citizens. Their final class includes observing real-world court proceedings of adult offenders, followed by a graduation ceremony. After one MPD officer created an anti-graffiti project many years ago, the idea was folded into Project P.O.I, which saw its first class of seven graduate in 2000; there have been 735 graduates to date with 17 more graduating this Wednesday. I’m proud that our Police personnel make it a high priority to steer our youth in the right direction, and grateful that graffiti gets wiped out in the process— truly a win-win for our community.

The law requires all motor vehicles to have mufflers. The purpose of a muffler is to help control exhaust noise from the motor of a motor vehicle. Maui County Code, Title 10, Article 1, Chapter.10.20.440 prohibits a motor vehicle on a public highway or street unless the motor and/or exhaust system of the motor vehicle is properly equipped and adjusted to prevent the escape of excessive or unusual noise. The ordinance also states that no person shall operate a motor vehicle on a public highway or street with a motor and/or exhaust system that has been altered or modified to such an extent that the noise of the motor and/or exhaust system is excessive or unusual because of a dummy muffler, cutout, by-pass or other similar device. In layman’s terms, anything louder than a stock muffler is a violation. After-market mufflers that are advertised as being legal in all 50 states only meet emission control requirements, not noise requirements. The fine for having a loud muffler is $72. Maui Police Department officers enforce the loud muffler ordinance; the Traffic Section conducted two separate operations last year to address this issue and have plans to address the noise problem again this year. Moped modifications are prohibited by Hawaii Revised Statutes, which state that no moped shall be modified in any manner except as authorized by the motor manufacturer, and any modification shall not increase the power capacity of the motor above 2HP. For more info, visit www.mauicounty.gov/laws and select “Maui County Code.”

The restriction on leaf blowers enacted by the State Legislature, HRS §342F-30.8, specifies that “Government entities, and agents acting on behalf of government entities, shall not be subject to this section.” While I cannot speak to the reason the exemption was included in the legislation, I can assure you that I’ve asked our Parks employees to be considerate of neighboring properties while complying with permit requirements that allow the public to enjoy County facilities. Our Parks employees face tight time constraints when completing work on the fields before permitted users begin activities, which often start at 2:30 p.m. These permitted users include soccer games, baseball games and other youth and community events. Parks staff work hard to mow the lawn, blow off the sidewalk, remove leaves from facilities, weed whack edges and water the fields— all before permitted activities begin. Parks maintenance staff begin work at 6:00 a.m. in order to complete all these tasks in time; however, they wait until about 7:00 a.m. to begin the work that makes more noise. It is indeed a delicate balance, taking noise into consideration while providing County services and maintaining the County facilities the public needs and wants.

The Coach Soichi Sakamoto Pool is scheduled to reopen at the end of June. An official announcement and exact date will be announced next month. Our Department of Parks & Recreation has done a great job repairing the pool and getting it back into shape.

: There are several ways to notify County departments that you suspect unregulated or illegal activity. However, only complaints that include the complainant’s legal name and contact information will be researched and/or investigated. While the complainant’s name will be disclosed to the alleged offender upon request, contact information will not be released. The County’s Request for Service (RFS) program provides an important connection between government and our community, and this policy helps ensure that complaints received can be verified. To register a complaint, visit the County website at www.mauicounty.gov/rfs and follow the instructions. If you do not have access to a computer, you can call a County department directly and ask to file a complaint. As public servants, we do our best to meet the needs of our community, and appreciate feedback that is constructive and courteous.

All structures need building permits unless they are specifically exempt. Building permits are processed by the Department of Public Works, Development Services Administration (DSA). They review permits for compliance with the building code, which includes building setbacks and heights. Most building permits are also routed to the Planning Department to determine compliance with zoning, which includes the number or density of dwellings allowed on each lot. Assuming that street parking is allowed, the parking of commercial vehicles and boats in a residential area can be a gray area. If there is no commercial activity being conducted on the residential lot, then there probably is not a violation. Some businesses allow their employees to take work vehicles home; however, if commercial activity is taking place, then it could be a zoning violation. If you are aware of construction without permits, construction that may not be in compliance with permits, or commercial activity in residential areas, then you may file a Request for Service which can lead to an inspection by Public Works and/or Planning.

The next Permitting Open House will be held on Wednesday, June 26th from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. The session will be held at the Mayor’s Conference Room on the 9th floor of the County Building, and will include staff from the departments of Public Works, Fire, Water Supply, Planning, and Environmental Management. The representatives will be on hand to help answer and route questions related to the permitting process.

Due to interconnectivity issues, initial plans for 400 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels at the new Kihei Police Station were not approved by MECO. However, tentative plans are being made to issue a new, multi-facility Request for Proposals that would allow solar developers to propose "micro-grids" that could allow solar PV at the site. Currently, the County has solar PV systems installed at 15 facilities; we hope to be able to add the Kihei Police Station to that list if we can work through the interconnection issues. Over the next 20 years, the County expects to save $10.43 million and nearly 56 million kilowatt-hours generated by solar energy. You can also read more about the County's alternative energy installations and sustainability initiatives in the “High Street Journal,” the official newsletter of the County of Maui, at www.mauicounty.gov/newsletter.

With regard to enforcing seat belt or cell phone violations, the officer should be certain that the violation occurred or is occurring at the time of the traffic stop. Window tint does not always prohibit officers from observing violations of the seat belt or cell phone law. If a vehicle’s tint is dark and prohibits an officer from seeing the person inside the vehicle, the tint is less than the allowable 35% light transmittance. Officers would then do a traffic stop for the tint and use a tint meter to determine how dark the tint is on the vehicle. If a violation occurs, the officer can issue a citation for dark tint. No tint shall have a light transmittance of less than 35% for all front seat driver and passenger window. For vans, minivans, trucks, or buses there is no limit on the windows to the rear of the driver provided they are equipped with rearview mirrors on both sides. Also, tint may not encroach upon the AS-1 line on the front windshield. State statutes: §291-21.5 Regulation of motor vehicle sun screening devices ($287 operator fine / $537 installer fine); §291-11.6 Mandatory use of seat belts ($92 fine). Maui County Code: 10.52.260 Mobile electronic devices ($97 fine). To read the laws online, visit www.capitol.hawaii.gov and www.mauicounty.gov/laws.

There are several property tax relief programs your uncle may be eligible for, and it would be best to apply for any applicable exemptions or credits right away since they would be applied to his property tax bill as soon as legally possible. Keep in mind that the second half of the real property tax bill is due on February 20, 2013; there would be no relief on the current tax bill. For the future, however, your uncle would benefit to inquire about the County tax relief programs. A new exemption was passed last year allowing totally disabled veterans or their surviving spouse to pay a real property tax of $150 per year. Hopefully your uncle is already receiving the Homeowner’s Exemption (HE), which reduces property taxes for residents who own and live in their primary residence and files a State of Hawaii Resident Individual income tax return. If your uncle already receives the HE, he may also qualify for the income-based Circuit Breaker tax credit, if his property taxes exceed 2.0% of his adjusted gross income; applications for the HE are due by on or before Dec.31st preceding the tax year being claimed. Circuit Breaker applications are received between Aug. 1st and Dec. 31st of each year, and are credited to the property the following tax year. Tax filings and other documentation will be required for the various discount programs; for more information and to download forms and instructions, visit www.mauicounty.gov/RPT. For more information on tax relief programs, call the Real Property Tax Division at 270-7697.

Indeed, it’s important to make sure that only bona fide residents receive the Homeowner exemption on their property tax bill. Rather than asking residents to self-certify, the Real Property Tax Assessment Division runs the Homeowner exemptions against resident tax payer lists from the State of Hawaii, and addresses are compared to listings from the U.S. Postal Service. These comparisons are run electronically, which makes them very efficient. With over 26,500 Homeowner exemption parcels, processing this much mail annually would be costly, time-consuming and less effective than the current system.

No, that is not true. There will be no changes to the current level of service until further analysis can be done, due to the amount of confusion and concern that has been expressed. Flyers had been circulated at a residential recycling drop-box center recently by employees of a private vendor that the County pays to haul residential recyclables for processing. These flyers were not generated or distributed by Maui County. The flyers provided only partial information, and ensuing rumors have spawned a great deal of misinformation. The Budget proposal that I sent to the Council contains the same amount of funds for the County’s Recycling program as this year, which will give us time to transition the County-subsidized residential drop-box operations to private vendors. During this transition we anticipate that there will be no disruption to the public’s ability to recycle items at residential drop boxes. At the same time, we need to ask for help to keep costs down by recycling conscientiously and by cutting down on the amount of material that needs to be recycled in the first place. The public needs to understand that it takes about $300 tax dollars per ton per recycleable to haul and process the materials, then the processor pays even more to ship the material to a facility in Asia or on the Mainland.

Yes – to opt out of any of the three phone books currently published in Maui County, visit www.yellowpagesoptout.com and remove your name from the delivery list(s). The County Recycling Section of the Dept. of Environmental Management receives many calls from residents who do not want all three books.

It's very simple process; just call the Maui County Dept. of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division at 270-7875 and ask to have your trash cart lid replaced. You can provide your address and your lid will be replaced in a couple of days. The trash carts are the property of the County, so the County is responsible for repair or replacement due to normal wear and tear. However, if a trash bin is left out in an unsafe place and gets lost or damaged due to negligence, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to pay for a replacement. So be sure to take care of the cart, and move it back onto your property after each collection.

The County’s role with regard to residential solar systems is to issue electrical permits and inspect the work for code compliance. The County does not have a “ceiling” on the number of electrical permits it will issue for solar systems. If you want to add solar PV to your home, you are faced with the question of how to provide backup power. If you want to have MECO as your backup power system, your system will be considered “interconnected” to MECO’s system, and Public Utility Commission (PUC) Rule 14H will apply. Rule 14H requires the utility to screen for issues that could affect reliability. Currently, residences on Maui installing average-sized systems (up to 10kW) can draw up to 75% of the daytime load from PV before a formal interconnection study is required to add more PV. This is a significant step forward, compared to MECO’s circuit penetration levels a few years ago.

Thanks for the question. Potholes are a major safety issue for drivers, and can cause some serious damage to vehicles. You can call the County Public Works Highways Division at 270-7869 to report a pothole, and staff will help determine whether the road in question is a County road or a road maintained by the State. If you already know the pothole is on a State highway or road, you can call the State Dept. of Transportation Highways Division at 873-3535.

I’m pleased to announce that we now have federal funding for Kamehameha, Hina, Papa, and Wakea to do complete reconstruction of the roadways and any sidewalks needing repair as well. In fact, we have one project for Kamehameha and Hina that we moved up one year in the queue for federal funding so that we can begin work this year. All districts get road work every year, and some get more than others in specific years as federal funds for those individual projects become available.

The good news is that Amala Place will be repaved sometime this year in conjunction with the Wastewater Reclamation Division’s force main project. The paving project will run from Hobron Lane to the Kahului Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The section of Vevau Street between Kane Street & School Street is privately owned by A&B. Future plans for the area are uncertain; however, the company has indicated that any improvements to the road would take place in conjunction with development in the area.

Since the Kihei bikeway and roundabout were opened last year, the landscaping has been maintained under a County contract with Ka Lima O Maui. The annual landscaping maintenance contract, managed by the Department of Parks & Recreation, is in the process of being renewed. The Department of Public Works is responsible for maintaining the road and related facilities such as signage and pedestrian crossing lights. There are no plans to change the way the areas are maintained.

A: The County Department of Public Works, Engineering Division, utilizes specialized software to help assess and prioritize the County-maintained roads that need repaving. Our annual funding for road resurfacing is further spread out amongst all the districts annually. Additionally, about 70 miles of our roadways are eligible for Federal funding, and those roads are also prioritized to keep the $6-10 million a year in Federal funding coming back to Maui County. Makani Road was Federally eligible, but Kaupakalua, West Kuiaha, and Kokomo are not. The good news is portions of Kaupakalua are getting repaved this year, West Kuiaha next year, and Kokomo is right behind them.

If the dead animal is a smaller animal such as a dog or cat, you should call the Maui Humane Society at 877-3680 for removal. If the animal is larger, such as a pig, axis deer or cow, you should call the County’s Highways Division (Dept. of Public Works) at 270-7869. If you know that the dead animal is located along a State road or highway, please contact the State Highways division at 873-3535.

State DOT Highways controls the two intersections you mentioned; the phone number is listed in the Government pages in the front of the phone book under State Offices, Dept. of Transportation- Highways Division, Maui District Office. In general, signal timing is set to change throughout the day. The roadway getting the majority of traffic during peak hours (morning rush, after school, and pau hana times) will have long green through-times, and shorter green times for the cross-street. During some non-peak times, and especially during late evening hours, the signals will easily accommodate traffic from the smaller streets and quickly stop traffic on the major roadway.

These are all federally-funded projects that are in design or have recently been bid out. Kamehameha Ave. (Puunene to Papa) and Hina Ave. (Wakea to Niihau and (Molokai Akau to Ani): Bids recently opened; construction is expected to start at the end of this year/early next year. Wakea Ave. (Kaahumanu to Puunene): Bids recently opened; construction expected to start at the end of this year/early next year. Wells St. and Wakea Ave. (Puunene Ave. to Hana Hwy.): Expecting to advertise for bids by the end of this year, with construction slated to begin within the first half of next year. Papa Ave. (Kaahumanu to Puunene): Expecting to advertise for bids by the end of this year, with construction set to start within the first half of next year.

: I understand your concern. You can contact the Maui Police Department at 244-6400 regarding motorist safety concerns, so that the issue can be researched and analyzed. If a hazard is identified the appropriate treatment may be applied, which may include enforcement and/or a speed display sign. Also, for State highways and roads, the State of Hawaii, Department of Transportation has speed display signs available. Like the Maui Police Department, the DOT studies traffic accident data and measures traffic speed flow charts before implementing a speed display sign.

The portion of Honoapiilani Highway you refer to belongs to, and is maintained by, the State Department of Transportation (DOT). DOT Highways has indicated that a contract will be finalized soon to provide improved maintenance in the area.

The County does not have a department that handles consumer issues; however, the State Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) handles complaints about rental car companies and other businesses. To report unfair or deceptive business practices, visit the OCP website at www.hawaii.gov/dcca/ocp; if you do not have internet access, call the Maui office at 243-4648. The web page contains links to “File a Consumer Complaint,” as well as information on identity theft, landlord-tenant issues and mortgage foreclosures. OCP has jurisdiction over a wide range of businesses and commercial activities including motor vehicle rentals, door-to-door sales, solar energy devices, offers of gifts and prizes, refunds and exchanges, collection practices, towing, and fine prints. OCP also has recently investigated and initiated enforcement actions in numerous consumer fraud cases stemming from mortgage foreclosure rescue scams under HRS Chaps. 480 and 480E.

The County does not have a health department; that function is carried out by the State. Lunch wagons are considered mobile food establishments, and are permitted, monitored and regulated by the State Department of Health (DOH). Inspections are conducted on a regular basis by DOH inspectors who check the lunch wagons’ commissary, sanitizing of equipment and utensils, lavatory, garbage, cleanliness of physical facilities, and water and wastewater systems. The permits issued to lunch wagons also regulate vermin and animals on the premises, poisonous or toxic materials, personnel, and food supplies, protection, storage, preparation, display, service and transportation. To report unsanitary conditions or a lunch wagon that cannot produce a valid permit, call the Sanitation section of the Maui District Health Office, State Department of Health, at 984-8230.

The Solid Waste Division has converted roughly 80 percent of the residents receiving curbside trash pickup to automated service. There are some areas Upcountry that will be automated within the next three to four years. Not all homes can receive automated refuse service and it may depend on accessibility for the large trucks; roadway conditions; and route capacity. In those areas where automated trucks cannot access, the County will be looking at semi-automation which will require the use of different types of equipment. For more information about your specific area, call the Department of Environmental Management’s Solid Waste Division, at 270-7875.

The Department of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division, handles residential refuse collection, which includes about 44,880 pickups every week in South Maui, Central Maui, West Maui, and all of Upcountry including Kula, Pukalani, Makawao, Paia, Haiku and beyond. Unfortunately, the time your trash gets picked up cannot be changed without impacting the efficiency of refuse collection along your route, as this would involve re-routing the entire route. The change would also impact the length of time it takes to pick up your route, and cause increased fuel consumption. Each route is designed so that the trucks can collect trash, travel to the landfill to dump the trash, return to the route, continue collection and finally return to the landfill to dump the final load within their 10-hour workday. Each route is designed to handle a maximum of 1,000 pickups in a day.

Please call the County Arborist at 270-7397 to request a site inspection. The arborist will help determine whether the tree is located within the County Right-of-Way, and whether the County is responsible for trimming the tree.

The County of Maui receives registration fees for rental cars that are initially titled and registered on Maui; they are issued license plates that begin with the letter “L” (e.g. LDP 550). According to HRS §286-41, if a vehicle is moved to another county, the existing certificate of registration will be valid until it expires. At that point, the registration must be renewed with the county the car is being driven in, unless the car is only being temporarily transferred to another county for less than three months.

This problem is being addressed as we speak: After an odor-control study was completed, funding was allocated for the recommended modifications to the pump station. A contract in the amount of $784,625 was awarded in late 2012 for the installation of a Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) air filtration unit, the rehabilitation of the wet well, and other architectural and mechanical improvements to the station. Construction is expected to begin on April 1st, with targeted completion in August 2013.

The new legislation adopted by the County Council on December 19, 2008 and signed into law by Mayor Tavares defines a “bed and breakfast home” as a use in which overnight accommodations are provided to guests for compensation for periods of less than 180 days, in no more than two detached single-family dwelling units, one of which is occupied by the owner-proprietor. Ordinance 3611

B&Bs are now a permitted use in residential, business, hotel, rural and agricultural zones. There is a cap on the number of permits that may be approved. Two dwellings per parcel may be rented short-term. The property owner has to live full-time in one of the two dwellings. The Planning Department is authorized to process most B&B applications.

Yes. The additional requirements are intended to preserve agricultural lands. State laws require a Special Use Permit be approved prior to operating a B&B on land that has a State agricultural land-use designation. Additionally, for County agricultural zoned lands, the new County ordinance requires an annual farm income of $35,000 for the previous two years; or, if the parcel is five acres or less, that a farm plan has been fully implemented; or, that the parcel is on the National or State Register of Historic Places.

If your application meets the new definition of a B&B, you may choose to change your application to a B&B application. The decision to change application type is entirely up to the applicant. Planning Department staff are available to help explain the new ordinance so that individuals may make an informed decision.

With the new law, permits are limited by specified caps in each of the following community plan areas:Hana: 48Kihei-Makena: 100Makawao-Pukulani-Kula: 40Paia-Haiku: 88Wailuku-Kahului: 36West Maui: 88Note: Molokai and Lanai have no caps established. Each application must be reviewed by that respective island’s planning commission.

The application form may be downloaded from the County website: www.mauicounty.gov (click on “Departments” and select “Planning Department”). You may also obtain an application from the Planning Department’s Current Planning Division at One Main Plaza (2200 Main Street), Suite 619 in Wailuku, phone 270-8205 B&B Application Packet

Yes. The new law requires that a project sign be posted at the front of the property along the main access road five days prior to the submittal of an application for a permit to operate a B&B. The sign provides public notice that an application is being submitted for the intent of operating a B&B on that property. The application packet contains information regarding the notification sign. B&B Sign Notification Information

It may take several months before an application is completely processed. Applicants are advised to make sure the application is completely filled out and that all requested information and fees are included. A checklist is provided as part of the application packet to help an applicant prepare information and documents that will be required. B&B Application Checklist

Applications submitted to the Planning Department are processed in the order they are submitted. Conditional permit applications that have been submitted prior to the new law becoming effective, meet the new definition of a B&B, and are already being processed, may be prioritized.

Yes. Generally B&B permit applications for the island of Maui will be reviewed by the Planning Department. In instances where the B&B is on agricultural land, if 30 percent of the neighbors objected, or if another B&B is located within 500 feet, the Maui Planning Commission will review the application. Permit applications for B&Bs on the islands of Molokai and Lanai will go to that respective island’s Planning Commission for review. It is no longer necessary to receive approval by the County Council.

Yes. Neighbors and agencies will be provided an opportunity to comment on a submitted application. The applicant will be afforded time to address these comments. This is an important step that could affect how long it takes for an application to undergo processing

No. Only after an application is officially approved, will a permit be issued and assigned a number under the established cap amounts that limit the total number of permits in districts. The link to the list of permits can found on the left side of the Current Planning Division’s webpage, under the Planning Department.

If the cap amount in a district is reached, the Planning Department will utilize a wait list. Many visitor industry experts do not expect the cap amounts to be reached very quickly, if at all in the near future – however, this is not guaranteed.

Emergency Management Agency sirens are tested each month at 11:45 a.m. on the first working day of each month. If you hear the Civil Defense siren, turn on your radio to one of the following local radio stations for information:

A "watch" is an official announcement that a hazardous condition may be a serious threat to life and property within a particular time. "WATCH" status means you should GET READY and LISTEN to your radio or television for further instructions.

A "WARNING" is an official announcement that hazardous, life-threatening conditions are about to occur or are occurring. "WARNING" status means you should TAKE ACTION.

Information about which areas should be evacuated will be broadcast over the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on your radio or local TV. Evacuation instructions are issued with your safety in mind. Compliance is voluntary, but orders are given only in the most serious of circumstances.

If your area is advised to evacuate and you are unable to do so, immediately inform the authorities of your situation. If you area is not advised to evacuate, you may still report to the designated shelter closest to your location.

1. FOOD: Keep at least two weeks of food in an airtight, waterproof container. Dry food has a shelf life, so rotate periodically.

2. WATER: Store at least two weeks of water specifically for your pets in addition to water you need for yourself and family.

3. MEDICINE: Keep an extra supply of medicines your pet takes on a regular basis in a waterproof container.

4. FIRST AID KIT: Talk to your veterinarian about what is most appropriate for your pet's emergency medical needs.

5. COLLAR with ID TAG, HARNESS or LEASH: Your pet should wear a collar with its identification at all times. Permanent methods of identification like microchips or tattooing should be used.

6. CRATE/PET CARRIER: If you need to evacuate in an emergency situation, take your pets and animals with you - provided it is practical to do so. In many cases, your ability to do so will be aided by having a sturdy, safe, comfortable crate or carrier ready for transporting your pet. The carrier should be large enough for your pet to stand, turn around and lie down. Help your dog get accustomed to the crate by using it from time to time. Don't wait until emotions and stress are high due to an emergency situation to introduce your pet to the carrier or crate.

The opening of shelters will be announced over radio and local television stations. The shelters may not be opened immediately, so listen to the radio for specific shelter openings. Go to the nearest open shelter.

The staff at your hotel will direct you to the area of the hotel that it has determined to be the safest for disasters. If you are at a hotel-condominium without facilities for disasters, please listen to the Emergency Alert System for details on evacuation.

Once you are in as safe a place as possible - wait and listen to your radio for further instructions. Do not go outside since flying objects can seriously injure you. Travel is extremely dangerous during a hurricane.

Stay on the first floor, unless flooding will occur, and stay way from glass windows. Go to the strongest parts of the house or building and stay there. If necessary, use mattresses and blankets to form a protective barrier around you.

If they eye of the storm passes over you, the wind may completely stop for a few minutes to half an hour or more. Do not mistake this lull for the end of the hurricane! Stay indoors unless emergency precautions or emergency movement to a safer location are absolutely necessary. The other side of the hurricane is coming and will create hurricane force winds from the opposite direction.

Yes. Individual hotels will make arrangements for their guests to relocate off the island. Visitors staying in short-term rental units (condominiums and time-share projects) must report to an emergency shelter or a disaster relief center for information on how to evacuate from Maui County.

- Prepare a home survival kit ready for use in emergencies.- Plan in advance where to locate household members in case they are separated.- Store important papers and valuables in waterproof packaging where they can be easily reaches if you plan to take these items with you.- Keep the car gas tank at least 3/4 full.

A tsunami (soo-NAH-mee) is a series of traveling ocean waves of extremely long length. These generally appear as a large, steep wave face and produce rapid flooding of low-lying coastal areas. These are generated by disturbances associated primarily with earthquakes occurring below or near the ocean floor. This can also be generated by landslides, both above and beneath the surface of the ocean.

It may take hours for tsunami waves to reach the Coast of Maui County following an earthquake far out in the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center located on Oahu alerts local officials who may order evacuation. Some isolated areas may not receive official announcements. If you notice a sudden drop or rise in sea level, it may be a warning of impending danger. Move to high ground or inland immediately.

The waves can kill and injure people and cause great property damage where they come ashore. The first wave is often not the largest and may be spaced many miles and minutes apart. They may also continue to arrive for several hours.

The most destructive tsunami can be classified as local or regional, meaning their destructive effects are confined to coasts within 60 - 600 miles of the source -- usually an earthquake. It follows that the majority of tsunami related casualties and property damage also come from local tsunami. Between 1975 and 1998 there have been at least eighteen in the Pacific and its adjacent seas resulting in significant casualties and/or property damage

Tsunamis can inflict severe damage to property and pose a threat to life in coastal communities. Although most people imagine a tsunami as a large, steep wave breaking on the shore, tsunamis generally appear as an advancing tide without a developed wave face and produce rapid flooding of beaches open to the ocean, low-lying coastal areas, bay entrances or tidal flats, and the shores of coastal rivers. Tsunamis can occur at any time of the day or night, under any and all weather conditions, and in all seasons.

A strong off-shore earthquake may generate a tsunami. Therefore, if you feel the ground shake, evacuate inland or to high ground immediately and return only after officials say it is safe to do so.

During distant source tsunami events, local Civil Defense officials will advise citizens to evacuate by sounding the Civil Defense sirens, making an announcement over the Emergency Alert System (EAS) or over NOAA Weather Radio or local radio broadcasts. Compliance is voluntary, but orders are given only in the most serious of circumstances.

Go to an area 50 feet above sea level, if possible. If you don't have time to travel to high ground, but are in a multi-story building, go to an upper level of the home or building. If you are on the beach and unable to get to high ground go inland as far as you can. The tsunami evacuation maps found in the Verizon Telephone Book illustrates the primary evacuation routes. Take your disaster supply kit with you, if possible.

Shelters will be opened as needed. Listen to your radio for details. Pets are NOT allowed at emergency shelters so please plan ahead for their safety

Go on foot if necessary, particularly if an earthquake has caused damage to roads, power lines, and resulted in significant debris. Remember: Never go to the coast to watch a tsunami. Tsunamis move faster than a person can run. If you are camping on or near the beach, you may have to abandon your campsite to go inland or to higher ground to save your life. Do not return to shore after the first wave. Wait for Emergency Management officials to give the "All Clear" before you return. If you see an unexpected rise or fall in the coastal water, a tsunami may be approaching. Do not wait - instead move inland or uphill as quickly as possible. Stay tuned to your radio, marine radio or NOAA Weather Radio during a disaster. Bulletins will be issued regularly through local Emergency Management officials and National Weather Service. Call 9-1-1 only for life threatening emergencies.

Drop, cover and hold. Get under a sturdy object and hold on. Watch for falling objects. As soon as the shaking is over, move to high ground or inland. Do not wait for an official warning. Stay away from the coast. Waves may continue to arrive for hours. Listen to your local radio station for an official "All Clear" notice before returning to the coastal area. Be alert for aftershocks.

Develop a family disaster plan. Everyone needs to know what to do on their own to protect them from an earthquake. Be familiar with local Emergency Management earthquake and tsunami plans. Know where to go to survive a tsunami. Be prepared to survive on your own for a minimum of three days. Prepare a disaster supply kit for your home, automobile and work. A list of recommended supplies for your kit can be found on this web site. Take a first aid course and learn survival skills. Knowledge is your greatest defense against potential disaster.

Annually, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocates approximately $2,000,000 in federal funds to the County of Maui,. At that time, the County publishes a series of Public Notices in the newspaper to solicit project proposals that principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons or families from the following organizations: Public (government); Private Non-Profit exempt from federal income tax; Community-Based Development Organization (CBDO) as defined in 24 CFR 570.204; and For- Profit Entity under the provision 24 CFR 570.203.

Approximately 10 weeks will elapse from the time the notices are published until proposals must be submitted to the CDBG Program Office for review. These applications are rated and ranked according to national objective priorities by a selection committee appointed by the Mayor. Next, a proposed "Council Resolution" of the selected proposed projects is submitted by the Mayor to the Budget and Finance Committee for consideration and then to the County Council for final approval.

The final step is for the County to prepare a "master application" to HUD, which includes all of the approved projects. Once HUD reviews the County's application and approves it, and after contracts are drafted and environmental requirements are met, the funds become available for project implementation. The entire process takes about twelve months from beginning to end before the actual project implementation can begin.

As with any federal program, there are many conditions which must be complied with, however, the CDBG Program Office will make every effort to assist you and keep the process as simple as possible.

Proposed activities under the CDBG Program must meet one of the following national objectives:

1. Principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons or families

2. Aid in the prevention or elimination of slum or blight

3. Urgent need (serious threat to community health or welfare).

Activities that are eligible to be funded under 24 CFR part 570.200-207 range from:

1. Real Property Acquisition 2. Public Facilities and Improvements 3. Public Services 4. Housing Rehabilitation 5. Removal of Architectural Barriers 6. Special Economic Development Activities 7. Historic Preservation8. Community Development Planning. CDBG funds may not be used by the County for new housing construction unless carried out by a Community Based Development Organization (CBDO).

The Consolidated Plan is designed to be a collaborative process whereby the County establishes a unified vision for community development actions. It offers the County the opportunity to shape the various housing and community development programs into effective, coordinated neighborhood and community development strategies.

The Consolidated Plan services four principal functions as:1. A planning document for the County, developed through a community needs assessment and citizen participation process;2. An application for federal funds under HUD formula programs including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA); 3. A strategy to be followed in suing HUD formula programs to address priorities in the areas of housing, homelessness, and community needs; and 4. a five-year action plan that provided HUD and the county a basis for assessing performance.

The strategic plan must be developed to achieve the following statutory goals and objectives, principally for extremely low-, low- and moderate-income residents: • provide decent housing and • a suitable living environment and • expand economic opportunities.

Every year an “Annual Action Plan" is submitted by the CDBG Program which states how Maui County intends to spend its CDBG funds and to otherwise work toward achieving the goals it set for itself in the long-term "Strategic Plan" portion of the Consolidated Plan. The long-term Strategic Plan part of the Consolidated Plan looks at the housing and community development needs of low income people and the inventory of housing in the community. It also looks at money that is available, or that could be made available, to meet housing and community development needs. Then the Strategic Plan describes what the state or Maui County's priorities are for programs and policies to meet the housing and community needs of low income people. In short, the Consolidated Plan requires the jurisdiction to identify all of its housing and community development needs, and then come up with a long-term strategy for meeting those needs. A key part of the strategy is setting priorities.

Yes. The public is welcome to submit oral or written testimony on any agenda item at all Council and Committee meetings. Oral testimony may also be received by telephone from each of the Council district offices for Council and committee meetings held in the Council Chamber.

Oral and written testimonies are accepted on any agenda item. Because procedures vary slightly from one Committee to another, please contact the appropriate Committee staff for details or refer to the Committee's agenda for instructions.

Oral and written testimonies are accepted on any agenda item. The Council receives oral testimony first from persons whose testimony forms are submitted prior to the convening of the meeting. Initially, each person will be allowed to speak for three minutes on each item, and at the discretion of the Council Chair, an additional minute may be granted to conclude the testimony. An additional three minutes on each item will be granted to those who are unable to conclude their testimony, after all others desiring to speak have been heard.

Thereafter, persons whose testimony forms are submitted after the meeting convenes, but before the testimony portion ends, will be allowed to present oral testimony for three minutes on each item. The Chair may grant an additional minute to conclude the testimony. Written testimony shall be submitted to the Council staff before or during the testimony portion of the meeting.

For Committee meeting agenda items, written testimony should be addressed to the Committee Chair and mailed or faxed to the Office of Council Services, 200 South High Street, Wailuku, HI 96793, 808-270-7686 (fax).

For Council meeting agenda items, written testimony should be addressed to the Council Chair and mailed or faxed to the Office of the County Clerk, 200 South High Street, Wailuku, HI 96793, 808-270-7171 (fax). For Council and committee meetings held in the Council Chamber, oral testimony may be received by telephone from each of the Council district offices in Hana, Lanai, and Molokai.

Testimony for Council meetings may be emailed to county.clerk@mauicounty.us.

Generally, testifiers may sign up before the Committee meeting convenes or during the Committee meeting, provided the testimony portion has not ended. For Council meetings, testifiers may sign up after the meeting convenes, provided the testimony portion has not ended.

For Committee meetings, 16 copies are requested to be submitted to the appropriate Committee staff so copies can be distributed to the Members in a timely manner. For Council meetings, 15 copies are requested to be submitted to the County Clerk's staff. If written testimony is e-mailed or faxed, please submit at least 24 hours before the meeting so that copies can be provided to Council members in a timely manner.

You may subscribe to the agendas by clicking the link "Email Notifications" on the main page. Council and Committee agendas may also be viewed by visiting the link under the County Council on the main page. If you don't have web access, contact the following:

For Committee meeting agendas, please contact the Office of Council Services at 808-270-7838. For Council meeting agendas, please contact the Office of the County Clerk at 808-270-7748. More...

The public contacts the Council, via letter, telephone, fax, e-mail, or in person. If the Council has advisory, investigative, or legislative authority over the matter, the Council Chair places the communication on the next Council meeting agenda. At the Council meeting, the issue is introduced and referred to the appropriate standing committee. (If the issue requires expeditious legislative action, the Council may, by a two-thirds vote, waive the referral to committee and take action at the meeting.)

The Committee schedules the issue for discussion and accepts public testimony. The Committee may act (i.e., draft a bill or resolution) or may conduct further research on the issue. When the Committee makes a recommendation to the full Council (adopt, accept, file, first reading, etc.), a committee report is prepared and scheduled for consideration by the full Council at the next Council meeting.

At the Council meeting, the Council acts by adopting the recommendations contained in the committee report (bill is passed on first reading, resolution is adopted, communication is filed, etc.). Digests of all bills that pass first reading, along with the Council’s voting record, are published in the newspaper at least three days before final reading. Sometimes, the issue may be recommitted or returned to Committee for further discussion. All bills and certain resolutions requiring two readings are placed on the following Council meeting agenda for final action.

If a bill is not passed on second and final reading at the Council meeting, it may be: (1) recommitted to Committee, (2) filed, or (3) postponed until a specific date. If the bill is passed on second and final reading, the bill title and Council voting record are, once again, published in the newspaper. The bill is sent to the Mayor for approval.

For bills relating to the Fiscal Year’s Budget and Capital Program, the Mayor has 20 days to approve or veto the bill. If the Mayor does not return the bill with a disapproval within that time, the bill shall take effect as an ordinance as if the Mayor had signed it. The Council may, within 10 days after the bill has been returned, reconsider and pass the bill by a two-thirds vote. The County Clerk assigns an ordinance number.

For all other bills, the Mayor has 10 days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) to approve or veto the bill. If the Mayor does not return the bill with a disapproval within that time, the bill shall take effect as an ordinance as if the Mayor had signed it. The Council may, after 5 days and within 30 days, reconsider and pass the bill by a two-thirds vote. The County Clerk assigns an ordinance number.

From the drop-down menu from the Council button on the home page, please select a committee: Budget and Finance Committee, Committee of the Whole, Economic Development, Agriculture, and Recreation Committee, Infrastructure Management Committee, Land Use Committee, Planning Committee, Public Services Committee, Water Resources Committee.

Not sure? Please contact the Office of Council Services at (808) 270-7838 for assistance. More...

A bill is a draft of a proposed law presented for approval to a legislative body. Generally, bills are referred to one of the eight standing Council Committees. Please contact the Office of Council Services at (808) 270-7838 for the specific Committee information.

An ordinance is a law or regulation enacted by the County. Ordinances from 1999 can be viewed by visiting the Office of the County Clerk's page and selecting the "Ordinances" link. The Maui County Code is the codified collection of ordinances.

Please contact the Office of the County Clerk at 808-270-7748 for copies of these documents in final form or by visiting the Office of the County Clerk page and selecting the "Resolutions" link. Drafts may be obtained from the originating department.

The Office of Council Services is established under Section 3-7 of the Maui County Charter of the County of Maui. The Office provides legislative services to the nine Council members and eight standing committees. The Office also provides assistance to other governmental agencies, and to the general public

The Office of the County Clerk is established under Section 5-1 of the Maui County Charter of the County of Maui. The Office provides legislative services to the Council, and conducts elections in the County. The Office also provides assistance to other governmental agencies, and to the general public.

Yes. The Hana Council Office is located at the Old Hana School, across the Hana ball park, Hana, 808-248-7513, 808-248-7883 (fax). The Moloka`i Council Office is located at the Mitchell Pauole Center, Kaunakakai, 808-553-3888, 808-553-3055 (fax). The Lana`i Council Office is located at the Lana`i Community Center, Lana`i City, 808-565-7094, 808-565-6436 (fax).

For more information regarding the qualifications required to apply for the Maui Fire Department, please contact the Department of Personnel Services at (808)270-7850. To receive a text or email notification during the next application process for the Fire Department, please click on the "@ Email Notifications" symbol on the left hand side of the screen and fill out the form for notifications. Email Notifications

The attached form must be completed and submitted to the Fire Chief's office by mail to 200 Dairy Road, Kahului, HI 96732, email to fire.dept@mauicounty.gov or by fax to (808) 270-7919. Fire Incident Report Request form

Patches can only be purchased or exchanged at the Fire Chief's Office, which is located in the Administrative building behind the Kahului Fire Station (200 Dairy Road, Kahului) during normal business hours. Patches can either be exchanged or purchased for $5.00. Shirts can be purchased at any fire station throughout the County of Maui. Please contact the fire station in your area to find out more information.

You can use any publicly-accessible computer, such as those available at the library, to apply online. (Make sure to log out when you are done and take care to safeguard your personal information when using a shared computer.)

After you have submitted an application, you must update your application to specify the conditions under which you will accept that job. The County will not consider you for an opening unless the conditions match those you have indicated you will accept. If you forgot to specify these conditions on your application, that application will not be considered for any openings, so make sure to complete this section.

If you fail a required exam, your application will be rejected. You may reapply any time we are recruiting for that same job and take the test again. There is no limit to the number of times you may take a civil service exam, as long as you submit a timely application and continue to meet the minimum qualification requirements (training, experience, and other licenses and/or certifications) for that particular class of work.

Civil service positions have a six-month probationary period (except for police officers and fire fighters, who are given a one-year probationary period.) This is considered part of the testing process. Upon successful completion of the probationary period, you become a full-fledged member of the civil service.

You may request an administrative review of that determination by contacting the Department of Personnel Services. You must make this request within ten (10) calendar days following the date the non-acceptance notice was sent.

No. Effective April 1, 2016, you must complete an applicant profile and submit a job application online with our new recruitment system, NEOGOV. Once you create a profile in NEOGOV, you reuse the same profile to apply for additional jobs online. For instructions to create a profile and apply for a job online, go to www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Maui www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Maui

The Department of Personnel Services is committed to offering applicants with disabilities a broad range of services and reasonable accommodations enabling them to compete for employment opportunities.

If you are an applicant with a disability who feels you may need assistance in the application process or a testing accommodation, please contact our office to discuss the request. It is your responsibility to inform us of your need in a timely manner so that we can determine if a reasonable accommodation can be provided.

Veteran’s Hiring PreferenceCertain recruitments allow applicants to claim 5 or 10 points for veteran’s preference, as follows:• 5 points veteran’s preference may be awarded to honorably separated veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces: 1. During the period December 7, 1941 to July 1,1955; or 2. For more than 180 consecutive days, any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955, and before October 15, 1976; or 3. During the Gulf War from August 2, 1990 through January 2, 1992; or 4. In the campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal has been authorized, including El Salvador, Grenada, Haiti, Lebanon, Panama, Somalia, Southwest Asia, Bosnia and the Global War on Terrorism.

• 10 points veteran’s preference may be awarded to: 1. A veteran who served any time and who (1) has a present service-connected disability or (2) is receiving compensation, disability retirement benefits, or pensioner from the military or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Individuals who received a Purple Heart qualify as disabled veterans. 2. An unmarried spouse of certain deceased veterans, a spouse of a veteran unable to work because of a service-connected disability, and 3. A mother of a veteran who died in service or who is permanently and totally disabled.

Applicants claiming 5 points must submit a copy of their DD-214. Applicants claiming 10 points must submit an official statement from the Veterans Administration or armed service dated within the past 6 months which confirms their qualification to receive 10 points preference. Spouses or widows must also submit evidence of marriage and, as applicable, veteran’s death.

You can call any of the following numbers on Maui (Kihei has a specific number); 808) 893-3172, (808) 893-3050 (pager) Kihei: (808) 872-5190. Please record the following information prior to reporting an incident:

Date, time and exact location

Is the turtle dead or alive? Are there any visible signs of danger around the turtle, e.g., fish hook, a net?

Estimated size of the animal (could one person lift it?)

Photographs (if possible)

Your contact information

When observing sea turtles in the wild please give them plenty of room. Feeding, touching or attempting to ride them is inappropriate and shows a lack of respect and aloha. Illegal actions can result in citations and fines.

To report suspected law enforcement violations toward sea turtles such as harassment, poaching or a turtle caught in a net, please call NOAA Enforcement at 1-800-853-1964 or the DOCARE office at 808-643-DLNR (3567).

Monk seals come ashore (“haul-out”) to rest. This is normal and they should not be disturbed. Please report monk seal sightings to NOAA Fisheries contact person (Maui- (808) 292-2372). Encourage others to keep their distance (50 yards/150 feet), stay quiet, and keep their dogs leashed and away from the seal (to avoid disease transmission and injury). Make sure to always pass outside barricades, not between the seal and shoreline, and stay low to the ground avoiding the head.

Your carbon footprint is based on how many green house gasses you personally cause to be released into the environment. The Nature Conservancy has a great tool to help you find ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

“A green economy is a sustainable economy and society with zero carbon emissions where all energy is derived from renewable resources. A green economy rigorously applies the triple bottom line of people, planet and profits across all corporations at the microeconomic level and throughout the entire economy at the macroeconomic level.”

A County Electrical permit is required for any new electrical construction work on Privately Owned Properties or Structures, and certain Public Facilities for installations such as, but not limited to, New Lighting, Receptacle Outlets, Electrical Service Equipment for Utility Connections, Electrical connections to Appliances, Air Conditioning Equipment, Water Heaters, including Solar Water Heaters, Generators, including Wind Generators, Solar Photovoltaic Power Systems, Fire Alarm Systems, Burglar Alarm Systems, Landscape Lighting Systems, Electrical wiring for Swimming Pool Equipment, such as Pumps and Pool Lights, and other systems or equipment involving electrical connections.

Electrical Permits are generally issued only to State of Hawaii Licensed Electrical Contractors for work within the scope of their license classifications. A State of Hawaii licensed Supervising Electrician or Journey Worker can apply for a Electrical Permit for their Owner Occupied dwelling only. There are no other Home Owner-Builder Exemptions or Handy Man Exemptions for Electrical Work in Hawaii. Hawaii State Law requires anyone performing Electrical installations to be a State Licensed Electrician, HRS 448E. Anyone offering their services to the Public to perform electrical installations in exchange for payment is also required to be a State Licensed Electrical Contractor, HRS 444. State of Hawaii DCC/PVL

Electrical Permit Applications can be obtained from the Department of Public Works, Development Services Administration, Electrical Section. Their Office is located behind the Kahului Shopping Center at 86 West Kamehameha Avenue, Kahului, Hawaii. Phone (808) 270-7255. Office Hours are from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Hawaii Standard Time, Monday thru Friday, except County Holidays. 1 set of Project Drawings may be required to be submitted with the permit applications. Depending on the Project scope and size, these drawings may also be required to have been approved, stamped and signed by a State of Hawaii licensed Electrical Engineer. Completed applications, along with other required documents should be submitted to their office for review and permit issuance. Electrical Permit Office Location

1. All new wiring, raceways, enclosures and boxes to be concealed by backfill, concrete, drywall, or other materials that will prevent a thorough inspection must be inspected before concealment.

2. All wiring devices and equipment connections, including service equipment, must also be completed and inspected before they can be energized. Utility Service connections will not be authorized until this inspection is approved.

3. Once the installation is energized, a Final Inspection is required to confirm the installation is working properly. A Final inspection approval is required to close the permit. Failure to obtain a Final Inspection Approval will cause the permit to eventually expire.

Inspection request must be made in writing by the Permit Holder only. A inspection request form is available from the Development Services Administration’s Electrical Section. This form must be completed and signed by the Electrical Contractor or Permit Holder. Request are required to be submitted at least 24 hours before the inspection is needed, excluding weekends & County Holidays. After the inspection is conducted, the inspection results will be noted on the bottom of the request form and returned back to the Electrical Contractor.

An electrical permit will expire in 180 days after issuance if no inspection is approved. The permit will also expire if no inspection approval is made within 180 days of the last inspection approval. To keep your Electrical Permit active, you must obtain an inspection approval every 180 days, until you obtain a Final Inspection Approval. If the project is being delayed or suspended, the Permit Holder can request in writing, up to 2-180 day time extensions. This will allow you an additional 360 days to obtain an inspection approval. If no Inspection approval has been made after 360 days, the permit will expire. Before work can be restarted, a new permit must be issued for the project. If the project scope has not changed from the original permit, and the expiration has not exceeded 1 year, the fee for the new permit will ½ of the original permit fee.

You can report unpermitted or hazardous electrical work through the County’s Request For Service (RFS) process. You can enter your request on-line or by contacting the Development Services Administration Office at 270-7379. You will be required to complete a form specifying the request and the location on the installation. You must also provide your name and contact information so the investigating inspector can contact you for more information and let you know the results of the investigation. Failure to provide valid contact information will cause the request to be discarded. The County will not investigate anonymous request.County RFS System

The same truck is used to pick up rubbish, mixed recyclables, and green waste on the different pick-up days. The driver delivers each material type to the appropriate facility. The truck is washed out regularly and then used to pick up the next type of material.

Yes! If you received a BLUE cart then your household is participating in the County’s new curbside recycling program. By using the BLUE cart you will divert reusable materials from the landfill and help extend the life of the landfill. Carts are inspected on a regular basis. County residential refuse pick-up service requires you to follow the Curbside 3 Can rules. Your cooperation and assistance are key to the success of this new program.

Compostable items are taken to the County’s contracted co-composting operation run by Maui EKO Compost. Materials are processed with greenwaste and biosolids to create an EPA class “A” compost. Class “A” compost is EPA approved for fruits and vegetables as a soil amendment, adding essential nutrients to soil for gardening and landscaping.

Place your Kitchen Compost Caddy in a convenient location in your kitchen. Refer to the instructions imprinted on the container for what can be put in it. Empty contents directly into your GREEN cart along with other green waste materials from the yard. NO PLASTIC BAGS! PLEASE KOKUA!

NO, plastic bags are NOT allowed in the GREEN Cart. All organics can go directly into the GREEN cart un-bagged. Rinse the cart out regularly. Plastic bags will contaminate the greenwaste and create problems at compost facility.

While it is best to layer kitchen waste with yard waste in the GREEN cart to reduce possible odors, there are ways to store the scraps until your collection day. Consider the following: • Freeze food scraps in a container. On your collection day, dump contents directly in to GREEN cart. (NO PLASTIC BAGS)• Consider taking a Home Compost workshop so you can compost excess food and greenwaste in your backyard. For information about home composting workshops, call Joy of Worms at 573-3911, or click on the Online Recycling and Disposal Resource Guide. Online Recycling and Disposal Resource Guide

Store excess yard trimmings until the next greenwaste pick up day. Residential loads can be taken to EKO Compost at the Central Maui Landfill at no charge. For a complete list of options, check the Online Recycling and Disposal Resource Guide. Online Recycling and Disposal Resource Guide

YES. However, it is very important that you cut large branches to 3 feet in length or less to fit in the cart with the lid closed. Overfilled carts or those with lids that won’t close will not be picked up.

NO, these items are not allowed in the GREEN cart because the compost facility is not permitted to process these items. They must then be hand-sorted and disposed of by the workers. These items must be disposed of in your BROWN RUBBISH cart.

It’s not a good idea to collect redemption containers in the same building where food is stored. But, any store may invite a company to place a Redemption Center in their parking lot as a convenience to their customers. Or, stores might arrange with a private reverse vending machine company for machines to service their customers. Interested persons should ask their neighborhood store to incorporate one of these services.

Containers should be separated by their material classification (as listed below). Remove the tops, empty and do not crush containers. For a complete list of which containers are “in the system” and those that are “out,” log on to www.HI5deposit.com. If redeeming more than 100 containers at one time, Redemption Centers may choose to pay by weight. The State Department of Health (DOH) has adopted the containers-per-pound formula as follows:

Currently the bottle bill includes beverage containers up to 64 oz. (1/2 gallon) only. Therefore, 2 liter and larger containers are not part of the HI 5 Program. There is a bill that is rapidly moving through the 2006 State legislative session to include 2 liter bottles. Watch for updates on this topic. Until then, please continue to recycle 2 liters at the County recycling centers.

On June 7, 2005 Govonor Lingle signed HB 1015 into law which allows for the flattening of metal and plastic beverage containers for deposit redemption. Certified redemption centers are now accepting flattened or crushed metal and plastic deposit beverage containers. Flattened containers are weighed at redemption sites to determine the deposit payment. The public is reminded that reverse vending machines will not accept flattened or crushed containers.

Before you move, contact the Solid Waste Division at 270-7720 to relocate or close your account. If you move within the automated area and transfer your account you will be instructed to take your cart to your new residence. However if you close your account or move out of the automated area you must arrange to have your cart picked up by Solid Waste Division.

Currently Maui residents pay only a fraction of the real cost of collecting and disposing of their refuse. Costs vary with the amount placed at the curb for collection and the distance of the community from the landfill.

No, as long as the amount of refuse can be contained by the twice weekly collection of the single 95 gallon cart for the address. If not, the account holder may open a second account for use by the cottage residents. Please note, a second account may be opened for a single address ONLY if the second dwelling is completely detached from the primary home on the property.

The most likely cause is a line blockage in your service line caused by grease, hair and other debris. Property owners are responsible for clearing these types of line blockages from the house to the mainline in the street, therefore you should contact a plumber to assist you. If you (or your plumbing contractor) suspect that there is a broken pipe in the line between the property line cleanout and the mainline or a blockage in the mainline, then you should contact the County Wastewater Collections Department at 243-7465.

Per the Maui County Code you are required to have a cleanout at your property line. If one does not exist the sewer field crews will not be able to perform an investigation or repair any lines experiencing spills or blockages.

If your class or organization would like a tour of the Kihei, Lahaina, Kahului or Kaunakakai Treatment Facility please contact our Wastewater Reclamation Division Administration office at 270-7417 with some possible dates, the number of participants and the approximate age of the group.

No. These are the major causes of line blockages and sewer spills on our islands. These build up on the lines much like the cholesterol in the blood vessels in your body and become rock hard, slowly decreasing the flow area until a blockage is formed.

The following lists the requirements to switch from out of state license plates to Hawaii license plates and obtain Maui registration:

* Complete and sign an appropriate application for registration form. If the vehicle is registered in joint ownership, both owners must sign. Submit the last issued out of state certificate of registration.

* Submit the last issued out of state certificate of title if you are listed as the lienholder.

* Submit a bill of lading or shipping receipt which shows the date the vehicle arrived in Maui.

* Submit a current Hawaii certificate of safety inspection

* If vehicle’s year model is 2007, 2008 or 2009, submit a G-27 form with any required attachments. This form may be obtained from the State of Hawaii Department of Taxation or from their web site at www.state.hi.us/tax/alphalist.html#g. Questions regarding the G-27 form should be directed to the Maui District Tax Office at 808-984-8500.

If we do not have the weight of the vehicle as established by the manufacturer, you may be required to have the vehicle weighed at a state certified scale.

Your vehicle must be registered in the county in which it is being driven. The following lists the requirements to change your vehicle registration from the counties of Hawaii, Kauai or Honolulu to the county of Maui:

* Complete an application for registration form. The application must be signed by the registered owners as indicated on the certificate of registration.

* Submit the other county's certificate of registration.

*Submit the other county's certificate of title if you are listed as the lienholder.

You may operate your recently arrived vehicle on Maui if it is currently registered in another state under the following conditions:

1. The vehicle is registered in your name.

2. A Hawaii safety check inspection from an authorized safety check station has been obtained. 3. An out-of-state vehicle permit from the Department of Motor Vehicle Registration within 30 days of its arrival on Maui is issued. To obtain the permit, submit the following:

Hawaii Revised Statutes ("HRS") Section 572-11, states: "It shall not be lawful for any person to perform the marriage ceremony within the State without first obtaining from the Department of Health a license to solemnize marriages." According to information obtained from the State Department of Health, State of Hawaii, the Department issues licenses to perform marriages pursuant to Section 572-12, HRS. For further information, visit the Hawaii Department of Health. At the left side of the page, place your cursor over "Permits & Licensing". From the drop down menu, select "Trades and Professions". On the Trade & Professions page, select "Licensing to Perform Marriages"

In the State of Hawaii marriage certificates, birth certificates, and death certificates are considered "vital records". Vital records are maintained by the State Department of Health. Visit their website for information on how to obtain vital records. More...

No. having an appointment is not necessary. However, if you seek help with an issue or form that has the possibility of taking longer than half an hour, you may make an appointment by either calling or emailing one of the Immigrant Services Division (ISD) staff.

It is important that you bring any paperwork or documents related to the case for which you are seeking assistance. If you are a permanent resident, you should bring your permanent Resident Card or Alien Card (Green Card).

If you just need a USCIS Form and are confident in which form you need it, it can be obtained by: downloading it from the USCIS website: http://www.uscis.gov or Call the USCIS at 1-800-375-5283 and request that the form be mailed to you. Or by visiting an ISD office and requesting the form in person. Please sign in at the front desk and ask for assistance to pick up the form from any staff member.

No. If you need basics information or have a question, you are welcome to call the Immigrant Services Division (ISD) office or email your question to a staff member. Email addresses and phone number are located on ISD the website.

All ISD offices (Wailuku, Lahaina, Molokai and Lanai), require clients to sign–in upon arrival, this is necessary even if you are only there to pick-up a form or ask a general question. Our sign in sheets are used for statistical purposes and your information is never shared with any outside agencies. After you sign, please have a seat and wait, one of our professional staff will help you.

The Wailuku Office is located in One main Plaza building at 2200 Main St. The building has parking available in its parking garage for a standard fee. Sorry, we DO NOT VALIDATE PARKING. Street parking is available, however, please read applicable street signs prior to parking to avoid parking tickets.

ISD or Immigrant Services Division is not a USCIS or Immigration Office. Subsequently, we do not have access to the USCIS database, records or files. If you were instructed to go to the nearest USCIS office, you must fly to Oahu as that is where the nearest office is located. However, we recommend that you first make an info pass appointment so that you are guaranteed to be seen by an adjudicating officer at a time that is convenient for you. Additionally you can make an Info Pass appointment by either accessing the USCIS website at http://www.uscis.gov/ and following the instructions or by coming into our office and we would make an appointment for you.

DMVL has a central office at the Maui Mall and several satellite locations. Check their website for more information: http://www.co.maui.hi.us/1328/Motor-Vehicle-Licensing Motor Vehicle Licensing Locations

Hammerhead Metals Recycling is located in the Central Maui Baseyard at 2000 Mokulele Hwy., Puunene, HI 96784. Check their website for more information by clicking on the link below. Hammerhead Metals Recycling

You must be present to ensure that the vehicle is eligible and that all documentation is in order. If for some reason the facility must charge you or if the vehicle is refused, you must be present to either make payment or make the decision to remove the vehicle. The tow company cannot be responsible for your paperwork.

You should deliver your vehicle to the Molokai Metals Facility at the Molokai Landfill. They will receive your car at no charge during regular landfill hours. Call Refrigerant Recycling, Inc. for more requirements and instructions at 888-682-1155.

Any operator, private or government, would want a careful and practical review of the situation, including necessary financial information before assuming responsibility for these private systems. To date, the company has provided very little or no information about their operations, costs, repair needs, equipment inventory, liabilities, or future costs. The County did not design or build the company’s systems, and has never operated them.July

No. The County of Maui owns and operates:70% of wastewater systems and less than 50% of water systems on Maui20% of wastewater systems and 0% of water systems on Lanai80% of wastewater systems and 15% of water systems on Molokai

On Molokai, water is also provided by Molokai Ranch, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Molokai Irrigation System and the Kawela Plantation.

On Lanai, Water is provided by the Lanai Company.

On Maui, in addition to the County of Maui, some of the many regulated water utilities include Hawaii Water Service Company, Kapalua Water Company, Hana Water Company, Launiupoko Water Company and the Olowalu Water Company.It is important to note that many parts of Maui County have no wastewater service at all.

The County has not conducted physical inspections of the Ranch’s water and sewer systems.The County has requested documents and other information concerning the system directly from the company and through the Governor’s task force leader, Abbey Mayer. The company has not responded to the County’s requests for information on their utility systems.Since no information was provided to the County, the Department of Environmental Management utilized the limited amount of information available through public information records on the sewer system owned and operated by Molokai Ranch. This preliminary endeavor revealed that the system would require a thorough assessment and full access to company records.Some of the items that an assessment would require include:

Records of all property connected to the utilities

Documents disclosing condition of assets and repairs

Maps

Yearly operating budgets for the past 5 years

Staffing requirements

Projected equipment replacement schedule

Permitting history (including violations, fines, enforcement actions)

Billing records

Number of water meters and sizes

All Department of Health-conducted Sanitary Surveys for the water system

Maintenance records of water storage tanks and reservoirs

Existing agreements between the company and property owners connected to the systems

Despite numerous attempts made, the County of Maui has never received an accurate report from Molokai Ranch stating the number of residents served by the privately operated systems.In Molokai Ranch’s notification letter to the PUC dated May 30, 2008, the company cites “approximately 1,200” customers. In a recent speech given by West Molokai Board president, Paul Mordisini, “more than 800 parcels of property” and “over 3,300” people are identified.

The Mayor of the County of Maui is not authorized to make such a declaration. However, the Governor under state law has the following powers:“The governor shall have the following further emergency functions and powers, irrespective of the existence of a civil defense emergency period: (4) Continuity of service. To assure the continuity of service by public utilities and other facilities, both publicly and privately owned, by regulating or, if necessary to the continuation of the service thereof, by taking over and operating the same.” – Hawaii Revised Statutes § 128-94(4) (Emergency Functions)With respect to wastewater treatment systems, Hawaii law states clearly:“Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, if the governor or the director [of the State Department of Health] determines that an imminent peril to the public health and safety is or will be caused by the discharge of waste, any combination of discharges of waste, or any management practice that requires immediate action, the governor or the director, without a public hearing, may order any person causing or contributing to the discharge of waste to immediately reduce or stop the discharge, or to reduce, stop or change the management practice, and may take any and all other actions as may be necessary.” – Hawaii Revised Statutes § 342D-10 (Emergency Powers; Procedures)

The Mayor’s first letter to Governor Lingle was on April 23, 2008. It was written in response to unconfirmed rumors the Mayor received about Molokai Ranch considering discontinuation of its private water and sewer systems. The letter says:“The recent decision by Molokai Ranch to cease operations on the island of Molokai has been a serious blow. In addition to the immediate loss of jobs facing Molokai residents, informal communication indicates that Molokai Ranch is now considering discontinuing operations of its private water and wastewater systems. This news, if true, is shocking and irresponsible. Water and wastewater systems are intended to protect the public health and are, therefore, regulated by the Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Health.”The County of Maui has corresponded heavily with the State and Federal government in an effort to be clear and concise about growing concerns and the need for the State to exercise its existing regulatory powers.We have had some success including action by the PUC directing the utilities to continue operations beyond the August 31, 2008 deadline and an order issued by the PUC that calls for the parent company of Molokai Ranch to be a party to the PUC legal proceedings.The Mayor has written to the Governor requesting that the Governor invoke her authority and issue an emergency declaration for Molokai.

In addition to the interest expressed by the Molokai Community Service Council, the County of Maui is aware of at least two private companies interested in operating and/or owning the utilities that Molokai Ranch is threatening to abandon. The County is also prepared to join the state in taking legal action against Molokai Ranch.

The PUC says that the rate increases are necessary to ensure continuation of water and wastewater utility services and satisfy claims by the company that it cannot afford to operate at the current rates.

The County of Maui is prepared to offer financial support to those served by the Molokai Ranch systems who will be adversely affected by a rate increase. Details on the application process and qualifications will be announced soon.

With so much unknown about the utilities’ present condition and future liabilities, it is difficult to determine how much money would be needed to operate and repair the utilities over the long term. Condemnation would require the County of Maui to use taxpayer money to purchase property at fair market value.

We fully expect there to be. Public safety is of utmost concern and the situation is being monitored closely by our Fire Department personnel. Fire Department officials have been monitoring fire risks closely. In fact, Fire Chief Murray was on Molokai last week to assess the West End vulnerability.

Over the last several years, the Maui County Planning Department has undertaken a project to replace the County’s official paper zoning maps with digital or electronic versions. The Planning Department affectionately gave this project the name DSSRT (“dessert”) which is an acronym for Dead Sea Scrolls Replacement Team. Along with the goal of replacing the County’s prized but very old, worn, and outdated paper zoning maps (otherwise known as “the Dead Sea Scrolls”) with accurate, up-to-date GIS (Geographical Information System) data layers (digital maps), a second goal is to address inconsistencies and mapping alignment issues.

Zoning primarily determines how property may be used and where structures may be placed on the property. It aims to promote an orderly pattern of development and to separate incompatible land uses, such as industrial uses and homes, to ensure a pleasant environment. This includes land uses, building density, building height and size, lot sizes, yards and open spaces, setbacks, signs and accessory uses. In addition, various standards are established within zoning districts for on and off-street parking, landscaping, signage and other types of provisions related to different development techniques.

The county zoning uses that are allowed on a particular parcel are governed by Maui County Code, Title 19. Related development standards such as signage are found in Title 16. For detailed information on Maui County’s Zoning Code, please go to (link): Maui County Zoning code

The original paper zoning maps on file with the Planning Department were created back in the 1960’s. These maps were created based on the best available resources at the time; many of them were hand drawn on Mylar polyester film. With time has come enhanced mapping tools, including GIS (Geographical Information System) and aerial imagery, which provides more specific and factual representation of land and parcels. We currently deal with instances where the old, hand-drawn, paper maps and changes in zoning do not align with digital parcel data that is used today, or a type of zoning that was designated 50 plus years ago no longer exists (ex. “Future Roadway”). As a result, not being able to quickly access current and correct zoning information creates frustration and is time consuming for all parties involved.

The Planning Department has made a list of all the proposed changes and adjustments that need to be made to the old, worn paper zoning maps and has created digitized versions of the new maps. The department will start with the island of Maui first and then continue with Lanai and Molokai.

The process to have these digitized maps replace the old, worn paper maps for Maui Island includes:

1. Conducting public meetings about the project;

2. Scheduling the new digitized replacement maps for review by the Maui Planning Commission and seeking their recommendation for approval to the Maui County Council;

3. Upon the Maui Planning Commission’s review and recommendation, scheduling the new digitized replacement maps for review by the Maui County Council Planning Committee and seeking their recommendation for approval to the Maui County Council;

A Community Plan is a public document that contains specific and also goal setting proposals for future land uses and public improvement within a given community.

A Community Plan is different to zoning in that a community plan depicts the long-term vision for a community whereas zoning provides for specific uses on a parcel today and is regulated by Maui County Code, Title 19.

No, these corrections and adjustments are only being made to the zoning maps. There will be no impact on any Community Plan designations. Some of the corrections that will be made on the zoning maps are, in fact, to better align the zoning of a parcel to a Community Plan designation. For example, the old, paper zoning maps show that some properties are partially zoned “future roadway” but there is no such zoning district as “future roadway” to govern how this area is used; some of these properties are actually developed with homes. In these cases, the DSSRT project would propose that these areas be zoned “residential” in conformance with their current use and the community plan designations of “single family.”

Yes. While the Department is not able to notify everyone individually of each and every meeting, the County of Maui does provide the ability for residents to be automatically notified of various County meetings and can review meeting agendas by signing up for this notification service on the County’s webpage. To be advised of upcoming Maui Planning Commission, County Council Planning Committee, and County Council meetings, please visit http://www.co.maui.hi.us/List.aspx. Follow the instructions outlined on the top of the page and then scroll down to the CALENDAR section and select notifications to these three (3) items: Council – Maui County; Council – Planning Committee; and Maui Planning Commission.

The Planning Department will also continually update its webpage and post any upcoming meetings and documents related to this project at http://www.co.maui.hi.us/121/Planning-Department.

Unfortunately no. These mostly subtle changes to properties are primarily “housekeeping” measures to assure accuracy in the delineation of the zoning map and should not affect the current uses of the property. If a property owner wishes to use their property in a manner not allowed under their current zoning, a Change in Zoning application will need to be filed. More information on this process can be found at: http://www.co.maui.hi.us/1213/Change-in-Zoning-Permit. Change in Zoning Permit

The Planning Department has included the involvement of the Finance Department, Real Property Tax Division, in this digitizing zoning project. Property taxes are primarily determined by the use of a property. As such, the Planning Department does not anticipate any changes to an affected property’s tax rates.

Right now, there is no way for you to individually look up a parcel’s zoning. You must contact the Department of Planning, Zoning and Administration Enforcement Division, and have staff assist you. Upon adoption of the DSSRT maps, however, you will be able to check the digital maps for your property’s zoning.

Similarly, the changes being made in order to adopt accurate digital zoning maps are primarily internal “housekeeping” changes that will have no impact on the size of the property nor the uses allowed.

For nearly all parcels affected by this project, the changes made to zoning will be on only a small portion of a parcel and will be changed to match the zoning of the majority of the parcel and its current use. The Planning Department is simply addressing inaccuracies between the old paper maps that do not align with digital parcel data that is used today, internal mapping errors, or changing an old zoning category which has no standards to a comparable zoning category that has standards in Maui County Code (i.e. “Open Zone” to Open Space 1 or 2).

As stated earlier, nearly all of the parcels affected by these corrections will experience no change to the majority of the parcel and to the use of the property. In other words, the portion of the property that will be adjusted will be changed to match the current use of the property. If, however, you still have concerns and wish to provide testimony to the Department or at any of the public meetings, you are encouraged to do so. You can either submit written testimony or provide in person public testimony at the Commission and Council meetings.

Nothing. The Planning Department will be conducting informational meetings and will be updating this website to keep those who are impacted, and the public at large, notified of upcoming meetings related to the project.

The Planning Department hopes to have the maps reviewed and approved by the Maui Planning Commission and the County Council in 2017. This is an estimated timeframe and could be adjusted due to scheduling conflicts and unforeseen delays.

Most property owners who have received notice of this project are probably not even aware that a small portion of their parcel requires a minor change in order to make the zoning consistent throughout the parcel. The benefits of this project are:

a. The new digital zoning maps will be accurate. b. They will be accessible via the internet. c. Other County agencies who also rely on zoning information will be better equipped to serve the public in their capacity. d. Changes in zoning will be updated more efficiently and accurately. e. These new digital zoning maps will be used as part of the County’s permit tracking system.

If you have a question that has not been answered, please send us an email with your question to dssrt@mauicounty.gov. Please be sure to include your name, the property owner's name (if different), the Tax Map Key (TMK) number for the affected parcel (8 digit number), and a phone number where you can be reached. We will respond to you by either email or with a phone call. You may also call 270-6272 and leave a message with the same information that is mentioned above.

Dwellings often referred to as “ohana’s” are called “accessory dwellings” in the Maui County Code. Accessory dwellings are allowed in the zoning districts that specifically list accessory dwellings as a permitted use or as an accessory use: https://www.municode.com/library/hi/maui_county/codes/code_of_ordinances The development standards for accessory dwellings including the maximum number of square feet depend on the net area of the lot: https://www.municode.com/library/hi/maui_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT19ZO_ARTIICOZOPR_CH19.35ACDW Development Standards for Accessory Dwellings

A fence may need a permit. In order to see if your proposed fence will require a permit, contact the Public Works Department, Development Services Administration at (808) 270-7845; Contact the Planning Department, Zoning Administration and Enforcement Division at (808) 270-7253 to see if your proposed fence would have a height restriction.

This information is currently not available online; however, the Department is currently working toward making this possible. In the meantime, please submit a Zoning and Flood Confirmation Form to the Department of Planning, Zoning Administration and Enforcement Division. Zoning and Flood Confirmation Form

County zoning (and other designations such as State Districts, Maui Island Plan, Community Plan, and Flood Zones) can be obtained by submitting a Zoning and Flood Confirmation Form to the Department of Planning. This form is available at the link below. You may fax the completed form to (808) 270-7634, e-mail to the Planning Department at Planning@mauicounty.gov, or mail or bring it in to our offices in the One Main Plaza Building, 2200 Main Street, Suite 315, Wailuku Hawaii 96793. The turnaround time is up to 20 business days.

Every project is different and permit applications are processed on a first come-first served basis, so the volume of permits under consideration will impact the time by which an application may be analyzed. Some projects are such that an outside agency, such as the State Historic Preservation Division or the Department of Health, may need to be consulted, which adds to the processing time. You can help keep processing time down by making sure that your application is complete when you submit it.

The Shoreline Rules for the Maui Planning Commission (12-203) limits structures and activities that are allowed in the shoreline to “minor” structures and activities”. Examples of minor structures include bird baths, benches and portable barbeques. A Shoreline Setback Assessment application is required to be submitted for any structure or activity proposed for the shoreline area. The Assessment application can be found on line at the following link. Shoreline Setback Assessment Application

The Special Management Area (SMA) is an area designated by the County under the authority of Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) 205A, which can be accessed online at the following link. The purpose of the SMA is to establish controls on developments within an area along the shoreline to avoid permanent losses of valuable resources, and to ensure adequate access to public beaches. HRS Coastal Zone Management

If you are contemplating any construction or activity within the SMA, you are required to obtain SMA clearance. You can access the SMA Assessment application at the link below. If you have questions about permit requirements or in filling out an application, contact the Planning Department, Current Division, at (808) 270-8205. SMA Assessment Application

Applications are available at our Zoning Administration & Enforcement Division office. Address: 2200 Main Street, Suite 335, Wailuku, or available on line for download at the following link. Appeal application

Questions about a property can be submitted through the County of Maui website as a Request For Service (RFS) at the link below or a RFS form can be picked up at our Zoning Administration & Enforcement Division office. Address: 2200 Main Street, Suite 335, Wailuku. Request For Service (RFS)

Complaints can be submitted thru the County of Maui website as a Request For Service (RFS) at the link below or a RFS form can be picked up at our Zoning Administration & Enforcement Division office. Address: 2200 Main Street, Suite 335, Wailuku. Request For Service (RFS)

Fill out a Request to Access Government Record Form, available at our Department of Planning Main office. Address: 2200 Main Street, Suite 315 Wailuku, or available on line for download at the following link. Request to Access Government Record Form

The Department of Public Works, Development Services Administration (DSA), processes building permits. You may be able to review old building plans there. DSA is located in the Kalana Pakui Building, 250 S. High Street, Wailuku. Phone: (808) 270-7250.

The effective date of the ordinance is January 11, 2011. The Maui County Council passed Bill No. 69 (2008) on August 22, 2008, and Mayor Charmaine Tavares signed into law Ordinance No. 3587 on August 25, 2010. The ordinance is incorporated into the Maui County Code in Title 20 Environmental Protection, Chapter 20.18 Plastic Bag Reduction.

Yes, the FINAL DRAFT administrative rules are posted on the Maui County website: www.mauicounty.gov, under the “Plastic Bag Reduction” link in the left-most column. The administrative rules cannot be adopted until after the effective date of the ordinances, the Mayor signs them, and they are filed with the County Clerk after which there is a 10-day filing period. Therefore the effective date of the Administrative Rules will be after January 21, 2011.Plastic Bag Reduction web page

Under Section 17-105-5 Permissible bags. The following types of plastic bags, provided other than at the point of sale and not for the purpose of transporting groceries or other goods, shall not be subject to the prohibition set forth in 17-105-4:1) Bags without handles, designed and used solely for protection of food products, protection of property, or for preventing contamination, including but not limited to, bags for: raw meat, poultry, seafood, and unpackaged bakery items2) Bags without handles designed and used soley for self-service packing and non-packaged food items sold in bulk, including but not limited to, bags for fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, cereal, flour, rice and candy.3) Bags designed and used solely for protecting garments, when provided by a garment cleaning business.4) Bags used for dispensing prescription drugs that are not provided in any other container or receptacle.

No, there is no language in the ordinance that requires paper bags be available at the point of sale. The intent of the ordinance is to regulate the use of plastic bags and encourage the use of reusable bags.

No, there is no language in the ordinance that requires paper bags be used, that the bags be labeled, or that the paper bags be reusable or recyclable.

The stated purpose of the Ordinance is to encourage the use of environmentally preferable alternatives to plastic bags, such as reusable bags or paper bags. The Ordinance does not regulate the use of paper bags: hence the Rules do not regulate them, either

Ordinance No. 3587 is codified in Maui County Code 20.18.010: The stated purpose is to encourage the use of environmentally preferable alternatives to plastic bags such as reusable bags or paper bags. The use of plastic bags must be regulated to preserve the health, safety, welfare, and scenic and natural beauty of Maui. The production and use of plastic bags have significant impacts on the environment, including, but not limited to: • contributing to unsightly litter (blight),• creating an additional burden on landfills,• contributing to potential death of marine animals through ingestion and entanglement, and• requiring the use of millions of barrels of crude oil for their manufacture

Any commercial enterprise or establishment, including sole proprietorships, joint ventures, partnerships and corporations, whether for profit or non-profit. All employees of businesses, or any independent contractors associated with the businesses, that provide plastic bags to their customers at the point of sale for the purpose of transporting groceries other goods.

The process generally follows: 1) A warning letter signed by the Director is sent to the business, or any authorized agent of the business, stating they are not in compliance with the ordinance. 2) The Director, after one written warning, may issue a notice of violation and order via certified mail. The order may require that the violator stop further violation, pay a fine before a certain date, and pay an additional fine for each day the violation continues.

Yes. A civil fine of $500 for each day of violation. In the case of continuing violation, the daily fine shall be doubled on the first day of each thirty-day period after the end of the time to take corrective action, up to a maximum of $1000 per day.

A business may appeal a notice of violation by filing with the board of variances and appeals. A notice of appeal must be made no later than thirty days from the date of service of the notice of violation and order.

There is no “grandfathering” clause, therefore, no banned bags will be allowed after the ordinance effective date. Please call the Solid Waste Division Recycling Section at (808) 270-7880 for information on recycling the back stock of plastic bags. Solid Waste web site

Yes. Plastic shopping bags are banned at all events, such as swap meets, fairs, and festivals since they are being provided at the point of sale for the purpose of transporting groceries or other goods.

After talking with the deputy prosecuting attorney handling the case, he or she will direct you to proceed to a particular area of the courthouse. In virtually all cases where you will be a witness, you will be instructed to wait outside the courtroom until it is time for you take the witness stand. Once having given your testimony, you will be requested to leave the courtroom. Unless you are specifically instructed otherwise, you should return to the waiting area outside the courtroom until the attorney excuses you

It varies. You may be excused after only a few minutes, or you might be needed for more than a day. Most witnesses remain on the witness stand less than an hour. Feel free to call the Victim/Witness Assistance Division if you need to know how long you will be expected to be available to testify. A victim/witness counselor will obtain an estimate from the deputy prosecuting attorney. Ordinarily, you will only need to be in court during the time you need to testify. You do not need to be there during the entire trial. You may choose to remain at the courthouse during the trial but you will no be allowed to hear the other witnesses testify. You may return for the closing arguments and the reading of the jury's or judge's verdict.

The Public Works Department has published a brochure with helpful information about the impact of our streams on the rest of the 'aina and how you can help keep them clear of debris. Malama Kahawai Brochure

To be regularly notified of County bid solicitations you must register as a vendor. During registration, select the commodity codes that match the goods or services you provide. When a solicitation opens that meets your selection criteria, you will receive notification.

To register with the County's bid notification service provider Public Purchase, follow the steps indicated in the Public Purchase Vendor Registration & Instructions located at the web address below.

Please note that while Public Purchase has multiple service offerings, there is no fee to register, receive or respond to solicitations released from the County of Maui. While the County has selected Public Purchase to provide County bid processing, this is not an endorsement of other Public Purchase services or offerings. Public Purchase Vendor Registration & Instructions

Beginning July 1, 2015, the County of Maui will be transitioning onto a new and improved on-line bidding system provided by Public Purchase.While the County is taking steps to make this transition as simple as possible for Vendors, Vendors need to be aware that during the transition period the County will be utilizing two Systems:1. Prior to 6/30/16, the titles of solicitations over $25,000 will still be shown on the County of Maui, Purchasing webpage.2. Solicitations that open after 6/30/16 will only be viewable and processed through the New On-Line Bidding System (Public Purchase). 3. Other solicitations under $25,000 will only be shown on Public Purchase. Public Purchase

To receive or respond to County solicitations that open after July 1, 2015, vendors are required to register with the new System. Registration is quick and easy. Go directly to Public Purchase’s supplier registration page at the link below Supplier Registration

For questions relating to County procurement policies and practices, please contact the County of Maui Purchasing Division at 808-270-7830.For "how to" questions on using the County's on-line Bid Management System, Public Purchase, or registering as a Vendor, please contact Public Purchase using their live chat function, found in the upper left corner of their website, Frequently Asked Questions, or you can send them an e-mail at support@thepublicgroup.com. Please identify yourself as a supplier for the County of Maui.Public Purchase FAQs

If the property is zoned agriculture and in actual agricultural use, you need to file the Agriculture Notification Memo. If the property is not zoned for agriculture, contact an Appraiser at our office at (808) 270-7297 for further details.

The farming of land or the zoning of agriculture land does not mean you automatically are assessed as agricultural use. The main criterion is the agricultural use of the land zoned agriculture. Agricultural use as defined by Rules and Regulations MCC 3.48.325 are as follows: “Agricultural use shall mean lands actually put to agricultural use adhering to acceptable standards to produce crop, specific livestock including ranching use. Actually put to agricultural use shall be deemed to be when crops are actually in cultivation, and farm management efforts as weed or pruning control, plowing, including housing, fencing and water facilities for livestock and pasturing of animals are clearly evident. It does not include nor apply to areas used primarily as yard space, setbacks, or open landscape associated with residential use planted with fruit and ornamental trees, flowers, and vegetables primarily for home use.” Once the agriculture use is determined and the proper application forms are submitted to the Real Property Tax office, a site inspection will be conducted. If approved, the assessment shall be effective January 1st of the following assessment year.

No, the Real Property Tax office has no jurisdiction over a parcel’s zoning. But, there can be different real property tax classifications in every zoning district (i.e., in the agricultural districts, properties can be classified as homeowner, agriculture, etc.). The real effect will be on the assessed value of the property. A parcel approved for an agricultural use assessment is assessed lower than the highest-and-best use value of market to account for agricultural use. If there is no agricultural use assessment, the assessed value will be higher.

First of all, a non-use is not a re-classification. It is an agricultural use assessment that is no longer qualified to receive (see above).

If a parcel is under a 10 or 20 year agricultural dedication and does not fulfill the term of the dedication, rollback taxes will apply retroactive to the date of the dedication.

For non-dedicated parcels receiving an agricultural use assessment, rollback taxes apply if the parcel is subdivided into parcels five acres or less. The deferred tax shall commence from the date the conversion was made retroactive to the date the assessment was made, but for not more than ten years. Non-use will result in the parcel being assessed at its highest and best use assessment. In this case, the owner is required to notify the division prior to the calendar year in which the parcel shall no longer be in use.

No, (In accordance with the "Rules and Regulations of the Director of Finance relating to the assessment of agricultural lands and the imposition of the deferred tax under section 3.48.325, Maui County Code" adopted in September 1981), the term "agricultural use" shall mean lands actually put to agricultural use adhering to acceptable standards to produce crop, specific livestock including ranching use. Actually put to agricultural use shall deemed to be when crops are actually in cultivation, and farm management efforts such as weed or pruning control, plowing, including housing, fencing and water facilities for livestock and pasturing of animals are clearly evident. It does not include nor apply to areas used primarily as yard space, setbacks, or open landscape associated with residential use planted with fruit and ornamental trees, flowers, and vegetables primarily for home use.

The current rules and regulations state that only those portions of land used for agriculture shall receive an agricultural use assessment. There is no minimum lot size requirement, but the Maui County Code does set the minimum lot size for agricultural lots at 2 acres in the agriculture district.

For agricultural dedications, they are due Sept 1st preceding the tax year for which it is being claimed. The non-dedication agricultural use assessments are due by Dec 31st, so that they can be applied for the next tax year for which is being claimed.

Any parcel that fails to submit the form by 4:00 pm HST December 31 shall no longer qualify for an agricultural use assessment and be assessed similar to all other properties that are not receiving an agricultural use assessment.

Your farm plan is a plan turned into the Development Services Administration (Building Permits Section) for their purposes only. You need to notify the Real Property Tax Division of your actual agriculture use. See the Agriculture Notification Memo. (Link to form) Once the agriculture use is determined and the proper application forms are submitted to the Real Property Tax office, a site inspection will be conducted. If approved, the assessment shall be effective January 1st of the following assessment year.

Section 3.48.305 of the Maui County Code pertaining to real property tax valuation and classification of land states that when property is subdivided into condominium units, each unit shall be classified for tax purposes as Apartment, Commercial, Homeowner, Hotel/Resort or Timeshare based upon its actual use. Refer to the “Condominium Classification Declaration” form for the definitions for each classification and also for instructions and deadlines to change your classification. Condominium Classification Declaration form

Once you receive an agricultural use or agricultural dedication land assessment, a market value land assessment is no longer maintained. If you have questions regarding your agricultural use or dedication assessment call our office to speak with an appraiser.

If you have applied for and been granted a homeowner exemption you will be classified as homeowner, regardless of your zoning. If you are no longer eligible for the homeowner exemption, contact the division immediately. If you qualify, you can receive both an agricultural use or dedication assessment and the homeowner exemption.

Your appeal can be mailed or filed in person. It is important that you consider the April 9th deadline. An appeal shall be considered timely made if the notice of appeal is postmarked on or before such date and properly addressed. Postmark refers to the U. S. Postal Service standard. Walk-ins are due by close of business day at 4:00 pm, Hawaii Standard Time.

Please refer to MCC: 3.48.220 (C ) which states “No taxpayer shall be exempt from delinquent penalties by reason of having made an appeal on his assessment, but the tax paid, covered by an appeal duly taken, shall be held in a trust account as provided in section 3.48.665”. Maui County Code

Assessments are derived annually using comparable sales that recorded up to June 30 prior to the assessment date. The assessed values represent 100% of the full, unencumbered fee simple market value. The assessor uses acceptable mass appraisal methods and standards to derive market value. If you feel there is an error with your assessment please call our office to speak with an appraiser.

Properties are assessed annually at market value. Possible reasons for value increases include increasing prices in the market, new construction or loss of a tax relief benefit. If you are unsure why your value has changed call your assessor at (808) 270-7297.

Tax rates may have been increased or your classification may have changed which also affects your tax rates. Tax rates are established by the Maui County Council. Classification is based upon use. Call our office if you think you have been classified incorrectly.

When a property is improved, it is valued at 100% of market value using market data. Because there are separate land and building tax rates, a portion of your assessment is allocated to land and a portion to building. If you have an assessment question, call or visit our office and ask to speak to the appropriate appraiser.

Site inspections are made during and at the end of construction to determine percentage complete. The construction is assessed at the percentage completed as of December 31st for the following year’s assessment.

The current assessment reflects the real estate market for a specified time period. As an example, for the 2008 assessment year, the sale period used is from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007. Any sales occurring after this time frame will be reflected in the following year’s assessment.

Once you receive an agricultural use or agricultural dedication land assessment, a market value land assessment is no longer maintained. If you have questions regarding your agricultural use or dedication assessment call our office to speak with an appraiser. Market values are shown at www.Mauipropertytax.com under Assessment Information Market Land Value.

Contact our division and supply the tax map key with the allegation. The division will research the claim. If you would like to make an official "on-line" claim, go to the Maui County website and then to For Residents, Online Services, Request for Service (RFS) or go directly to http://www.co.maui.hi.us/index.aspx?nid=76 Request for Service (RFS)

Tax payers will receive two coupons. The County of Maui mails out bills for: First Installment (Cycle 1) – Mailed on July 20 and due on or before August 20 for the period July 1 to December 31. Second Installment (Cycle 2) – Mailed on January 20 and due on or before February 20 for the period January 1 to June 30.

Circuit Breaker is a credit to real property taxes for taxpayers who are classified as homeowner who filed and was granted a home exemption claim under section 3.48.450. Upon proper application, a homeowner shall be entitled to a credit in the amount that the real property tax assessed on the homeowner property tax exceeds two per cent of household income. The credit shall be applied in equal pro rata amounts against each tax payment due for the tax year following the year in which an application for credit is submitted and granted.

Real Property taxes are assessed annually and are due in two equal installments. First Installment (Cycle 1) – Due on or before August 20 for the period July 1 to December 31. Second Installment (Cycle 2) – Due on or before February 20 for the period January 1 to June 30.

Generally, foreclosures are noticed in the classified ad section of the newspapers having "general circulation" in the State of Hawaii and at the Circuit Court within the judicial circuit where the property is located. In the State of Hawaii there are judicial and non-judicial foreclosures. The law governing judicial and non-judicial foreclosures is State law and can be found in the appropriate section of the Hawaii Revised Statutes. There is also a subset of foreclosures having to do with County real property tax liens. For information and procedures regarding County real property tax lien foreclosures sales, see the Maui County Code. Maui County Code RPT Liens and Foreclosures

Check the division website at http://www.mauipropertytax.com to see if our office has two records with the same mailing address. If this is the case, please call or provide our office with a change of address form which can be obtained on the website. Real Property Tax Division

County ordinance states in Section 3.48.150 B of the Maui County Code that, “…real property shall be assessed in its entirety...” Leasehold ownership reflects only a partial interest in the property, whereas property assessments are based on the fee simple interest in the property. Maui County Code

The hotel/resort class means that “Units occupied by transient tenants for periods of less than six consecutive months…shall be classified as hotel resort” (MCC 3.48.305 C(4). If you are not in the rental pool or do not rent for six months or less, you should submit a Condominium Classification Declaration attesting to the actual use of your unit.

Yes, as a condo owner it is your responsibility to notify the Real Property Tax office of any changes in use to determine the right classification for tax purposes. Complete the Condominium Classification Declaration form. Condominium Classification Declaration form

The hotel/resort class includes condominiums that are occupied by transient tenants for periods of less than six consecutive months. It also includes units advertised for occupancy by transient tenants. If during the course of any assessment year, the actual use of a unit entails more than one classification, the unit shall be classified at the use with the highest applicable tax rate. For example, if you occupy your unit for eight months and rent it short term for four months, the appropriate classification is hotel/resort.

a. The owner must occupy the Maui County home for which the exemption is being claimed for more than two hundred seventy (270) calendar days of each calendar year.b. Owner must not rent the entire premises for any portion of the year.c. Owner must file an income tax return as a resident of the State of Hawaii with a reported address in Maui County the year prior to the effective date of the exemption. Non-resident and part-year resident State of Hawaii income tax returns do not qualify for the home exemption. d. The property taxes must not be delinquent.

No, the exemption will remain in effect unless there is a change in status, such as moving, death, renting the home, or no longer meeting the requirements from question 3 above. Owners have the responsibility to inform the Real Property Assessment Division within 30 days of any change in status. Failure to report a change in status, or facts will result in disqualification and a $200 penalty.

Contact our division and supply the tax map key with the allegation. The division will research the claim. If you would like to make an official “on-line” claim, go to the Maui County website, www.mauicounty.gov, under Services tab, click on Online Services and click on Request for Service or go directly to Request for Service Link located below. Request for Service

Correct Assessment First, check to see if your property data is accurate. Real Property Tax (RPT) data can be obtained from our website at www.mauipropertytax.com. If data is incorrect, contact the RPT office so property records can be corrected with proper documentation.

Homeowner’s Exemption If you are an owner occupant, you may qualify for the homeowner’s exemption of $200,000 which reduces your net taxable value and the tax rate. If you own and occupy your property as your principal residence and file a Home Exemption Application by December 31, the exemption will take effect the following assessment year.Homeowners Exemption Application

Circuit Breaker Once qualified for homeowner’s exemption for the first year, you may apply for Circuit Breaker Credit which, if qualified, would credit a portion of your property taxes the following year.

Agriculture Use If your property is in agriculture use such as farming of a crop, you may receive a special agriculture use assessment upon approval of an agriculture use application and/or dedication. This special assessment lowers the taxable amount on the land.

There are other exemptions for which you may qualify, such as a disability exemption of $25,000 and disabled veteran’s exemption with minimum tax of $150.00.

Real Property Tax does not provide zoning information. Contact the Zoning Administration and Enforcement division of the Planning Department on the County website or go to http://www.mauicounty.gov/?nid=1402 to fill out and submit a Zoning and Flood Confirmation Form that verifies County Zoning, Community Plan, State Land Use District designations, Flood Zone and other special districts within the County of Maui. Zoning Administration and Enforcement Division

The Real Property Tax Division does not know why your neighbor is borrowing your goats. If you suspect that your neighbor is receiving an agricultural assessment and they are not entitled to that benefit, contact our office and provide the tax map key of the property in question. If you would like to make an official "on-line" claim (Request for Service), go to the Maui County website, then to For Residents, Online Services, Request for Service (RFS) or go directly to http://www.mauicounty.gov/index.aspx?nid=76Request for Service (RFS)

Yes, almost all of the data shown on our website www.mauipropertytax.com can be downloaded. The raw data is provided in text files. There is a meta data form for each down load to assist data users. Go to the Maui County website and on the left side menu and select online services. Next select Download Public Information. There are links to the various types of data extracts available. Links to pre GIS maps are at the bottom of the page.Download Public Information

Hawaii is reputedly the only state in the nation with a single statewide recording office, the Bureau of Conveyances. The Bureau of Conveyances ("BOC") is an agency of State government. Please visit the BOC website for contact and other information. Bureau of Conveyances

A copy of the marriage certificate or divorce papers will be sufficient to make the change. However, if the property owned is a Land Court parcel, then the documents must be filed with Land Court who then forwards it to the Bureau of Conveyances. Bureau of Conveyances

It is the property owner’s responsibility to inform the Real Property Tax Division of a change by submitting a written request using the Request for Change of Address form. Please include the tax map key number. Requests will not be accepted over the telephone. Request for Change of Address form

A Tax Sale is a public auction of tax deeds and/or tax liens used to recover delinquent real property taxes. Maui County is authorized to tax, to collect on delinquent taxes and to conduct Tax Sales pursuant to Article VIII, Section 3 of the Hawaii Constitution; Chapters 246 and 246A, Hawaii Revised Statutes (“HRS”); and Chapter 3.48 of the Maui County Code (“MCC”).

The primary purpose is to collect delinquent taxes. The back taxes, penalties and interest due are recouped by: (1) forcing payment of property taxes by a current property owner via threat of sale, or (2) via a public auction of delinquent property or tax liens. In Maui County, if a property is sold via tax deed sale, at auction, the proceeds in excess of the taxes and costs of a sale may be claimed by the former owner and other lien holders.

In addition, Maui County Tax Sales are advertised in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and The Maui News at least once a week for at least four successive weeks immediately prior to the Tax Sale. Maui County Tax Sales will be advertised in the Molokai Dispatch once within the four weeks prior to the Tax Sale. You may also find the “Notice of Proposed Sale of Real Property for Failure to Pay Real Property Taxes Due Thereon” on the County of Maui website at: www.mauicounty.gov. For general information regarding parcels in Maui County refer to:www.mauipropertytax.com. County of Maui Website

The County of Maui will accept cash, certified check, cashier’s check or money orders. No personal checks, business checks, debit card or credit card payments will be accepted. We recommend that you bring a cashier’s check payable to yourself for the maximum amount you intend to bid. If you are a successful bidder, you can endorse the check to “County of Maui Director of Finance”. Any overage will be returned to you in the form of a County of Maui credit memo. Credit memos will be converted to County of Maui checks after the auction date. Credit memos can be used to purchase additional parcels.

A tax deed will be prepared by the County of Maui and given to successful bidders. A tax deed does not have any warranties. Potential bidders should consult with their own attorneys to determine whether any liens remain on the property after a tax deed is issued.The following information will be required by purchasers to complete the deed:a. The exact full name and marital status of the grantee;b. Address of the grantee;c. The tenancy in which ownership is to be held. The County of Maui will not assist buyers with legal advice such as questions regarding tenancy.The County will make reasonable efforts to record the deed with the Bureau of Conveyances and/or Land Court within sixty (60) days after the Tax Sale. The recorded deed will be sent directly to the purchaser by the Bureau of Conveyances and/or the Land Court. It may take several months after the Tax Sale to receive the recorded deed. Information regarding recordation can be found on theBureau of Conveyance’s website at http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/boc or questions may be directed to the Bureau of Conveyances at: (808) 587-0147.All foreign and out-of-state corporations must have complied with state law, HRS, Chapter 414, Part XVI. Foreign Corporations.

The property is sold "as is" and the County will not warrant title or represent the successful purchaser in any title disputes. Purchasers should consult with their own attorneys to determine whether any liens remain on the property after a tax deed is issued.

Delinquent taxpayers (i.e. former property owners) may redeem the property sold by payment to the purchaser at the Tax Sale, within one (1) year of the date of the Tax Sale, or if the tax deed is not recorded within sixty (60) days after the Tax Sale, then within one (1) year from the date of recordation. To redeem the property the delinquent taxpayer must pay to the purchaser the amount paid by the purchaser, together with all costs and expenses which the purchaser was required to pay, including interest at the rate of twelve percent (12%) a year. In a case of redemption more than one (1) year after the date of Tax Sale by reason of extension of the redemption period on account of late recording of the tax deed, interest shall not be added for the extended redemption period. The delinquent taxpayer must make arrangements for the redemption of the property directly with the purchaser. The County is not involved in the redemption process. (HRS §246-60, MCC §3.48.270)

Property is sold “as is”, any action against people remaining on the property after the Tax Sale is the responsibility of the purchaser. The County of Maui is not involved in any actions to remove persons or personal property before or after the Tax Sale.

The County does not warrant any of the information contained in the field inspection regarding the condition of the land or any structures. Misrepresentations in the field inspections or title reports will not be grounds for cancellation of the Tax Sale.

The zoning of the property is determined by the Department of Planning, and will also determine the minimum lot size of the proposed consolidated or subdivided lots. The application checklist is included with the Subdivision Application. Complete the application and submit to the Subdivision Office for processing. For further inquiries, call (808) 270-7252.Subdivision Application web page

The subdivision process includes a preliminary subdivision approval normally issued upon receipt of the requirements from the reviewing agencies, and consists of a stamped plat, with any revisions to be made noted thereon, and a letter listing the conditions to be met to obtain final subdivision approval. The County has 45 calendar days to issue a preliminary subdivision approval from the date the preliminary map and supplemental materials are deemed complete and satisfactorily received. Final subdivision approval will depend on how soon the subdivider is able to meet the conditions of approval. For further inquiries, call (808) 270-7252.Subdivision Application web page

The condominium process is regulated by the State of Hawaii, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Real Estate Branch, to create a special form of ownership of real property that includes bylaws of the Association of Apartment Owners. For further information, contact their office at (808) 586-2643.

The subdivision process is regulated by the County. Subdivisions and consolidations, and all streets or ways within the county created for the purpose of subdividing land are approved by the Director of Department of Public Works with zoning ordinances taking precedence over a condominium lot.

The amendments to Maui County Code Section 13.04.020 prohibit smoking and the use of tobacco products within the limits of any park or recreational facility which is owned or maintained by the County. This includes chewing tobacco, and smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or other products containing tobacco.

All beaches and parks owned or maintained by the County, and the Waiehu Golf Course, are included in the ban. To view a listing of all County parks by geographic district, visit www.mauicounty.gov/parks and click on the “County Parks Listing” tab on the left. County Parks Listing

Yes, the tobacco ban applies to any parking lot owned or maintained by the county for a County Park facility, including those for beaches, parks, swimming pools, and community centers which are County owned or maintained.

Penalties for violating the tobacco ban are set forth in Maui County Code Section 13.04.230, which provides that any person who is determined to have violated Maui County Code Section 13.04.020, which prohibits engaging in smoking or the use of tobacco products within the limit of any park or within any recreational facility, shall be fined not less than $150 and not more than $500.

Signs will be posted at every tobacco-free County beach, park, and facility. Maui County’s official website will also provide notice in the County Park Listing tab, and in each facility’s description tab.

A Bed and Breakfast business involves the rental of rooms in the same house in which the owner or manager lives. A Transient Vacation Rental involves all other types of short-term (less than 180 days) rentals, including ohana units. The County Council is considering amending the definition of a B&B to require that the owner live on-site but allow the renting an ohana unit.

An estimated 16,000-plus TVRs may operate legally in the County, many in multi-unit buildings, along with several hundred single family units. They operate legally because they are in an approved zoning district (hotel, business, historic, etc). Those that are not in approved districts and are operating legally, have applied for and received a “conditional permit” that is required to conduct a vacation rental business in a residential, rural or agricultural zoned district.

The Maui County Code Chapter 19.37 prohibits transient vacation rentals outside of the hotel district. The Maui County Code Chapter 19.64 allows for Bed and Breakfast operations within the business district as well as the residential districts with a permit. The conditional permit process is used by owner/operators to establish either a TVR or B&B outside of these allowed districts.

Operating an illegal TVR is subject to an initial fine of $1,000 along with a daily fine that can progress up to $1,000 per day. A trial is not necessary. There is an appeal process that could include the court system to resolve the appeal.

The legislative bills would streamline permitting by no longer requiring a public hearing for bed and breakfasts (B&Bs). The B&B could include the rental of the ohana unit with the owner of the B&B required to live on site. B&Bs would be allowed in the Residential District, Rural District and in the Agricultural District if standards are met. TVRs would only be allowed in resort areas and business districts.

A tsunami (soo-NAH-mee) is a series of traveling ocean waves of extremely long length. These generally appear as a large, steep wave face and produce rapid flooding of low-lying coastal areas. These are generated by disturbances associated primarily with earthquakes occurring below or near the ocean floor. This can also be generated by landslides, both above and beneath the surface of the ocean.

It may take hours for tsunami waves to reach the Coast of Maui County following an earthquake far out in the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center located on Oahu alerts local officials who may order evacuation. Some isolated areas may not receive official announcements. If you notice a sudden drop or rise in sea level, it may be a warning of impending danger. Move to high ground or inland immediately.

The waves can kill and injure people and cause great property damage where they come ashore. The first wave is often not the largest and may be spaced many miles and minutes apart. They may also continue to arrive for several hours.

The most destructive tsunami can be classified as local or regional, meaning their destructive effects are confined to coasts within 60 - 600 miles of the source -- usually an earthquake. It follows that the majority of tsunami related casualties and property damage also come from local tsunami. Between 1975 and 1998 there have been at least eighteen in the Pacific and its adjacent seas resulting in significant casualties and/or property damage

Tsunamis can inflict severe damage to property and pose a threat to life in coastal communities. Although most people imagine a tsunami as a large, steep wave breaking on the shore, tsunamis generally appear as an advancing tide without a developed wave face and produce rapid flooding of beaches open to the ocean, low-lying coastal areas, bay entrances or tidal flats, and the shores of coastal rivers. Tsunamis can occur at any time of the day or night, under any and all weather conditions, and in all seasons.

A strong off-shore earthquake may generate a tsunami. Therefore, if you feel the ground shake, evacuate inland or to high ground immediately and return only after officials say it is safe to do so.

During distant source tsunami events, local Civil Defense officials will advise citizens to evacuate by sounding the Civil Defense sirens, making an announcement over the Emergency Alert System (EAS) or over NOAA Weather Radio or local radio broadcasts. Compliance is voluntary, but orders are given only in the most serious of circumstances.

Go to an area 50 feet above sea level, if possible. If you don't have time to travel to high ground, but are in a multi-story building, go to an upper level of the home or building. If you are on the beach and unable to get to high ground go inland as far as you can. The tsunami evacuation maps found in the Verizon Telephone Book illustrates the primary evacuation routes. Take your disaster supply kit with you, if possible.

Shelters will be opened as needed. Listen to your radio for details. Pets are NOT allowed at emergency shelters so please plan ahead for their safety.

Go on foot if necessary, particularly if an earthquake has caused damage to roads, power lines, and resulted in significant debris. Remember: * Never go to the coast to watch a tsunami. Tsunamis move faster than a person can run. If you are camping on or near the beach, you may have to abandon your campsite to go inland or to higher ground to save your life.

* Do not return to shore after the first wave. Wait for Emergency Management officials to give the "All Clear" before you return.

* If you see an unexpected rise or fall in the coastal water, a tsunami may be approaching. Do not wait - instead move inland or uphill as quickly as possible.

* Stay tuned to your radio, marine radio or NOAA Weather Radio during a disaster. Bulletins will be issued regularly through local Emergency Management officials and National Weather Service.

The Plan provides the vision, direction, and plan of action for therevitalization of the Wailuku Redevelopment Area. The Plan alsoestablishes the policy framework and process within which the MauiRedevelopment Agency (MRA) will implement specific projects intendedto foster economic revitalization.

This plan is not intended to be a regional plan for Central Maui, an urban design plan for Wailuku Town or an economic feasibility study for aspecific project. It is a strategic plan for the economic and physicalrevitalization of the Wailuku Redevelopment Area.

3. One stop permit review to reduce the risk, uncertainty and time that it takes to make an investment or start a business in Wailuku.

4. Access to federal funds for communities that meet federal criteriafor slum and blight designation and have an approved Redevelopment Plan.

5. Innovative public finance tools such as tax increment and community district financing to upgrade infrastructure and supplement services provided by the County such as sidewalk maintenance and cleaning, trash removal, landscaping and security.

6. Forum for public participation with established notification procedures, meeting requirements and mechanisms to facilitate community input into the planning process.

Throughout 1999 and early 2000 the MRA conducted workshops, community meetings and public hearings to formulate the recommendations in this Plan. Specifically, the following types tools were utilized to encourage public participation during the planning process:

The definition of a "blighted area" as established by HRS, Subsection 53-1(3)is as follows:

An area (including a slum area), whether it is improved or unimproved, in which conditions such as: the dilapidation, deterioration, age, orobsolescence of the buildings or improvements thereon; inadequateventilation, light, sanitation, or open spaces, or other unsanitary or unsafe conditions; high density of population and over- crowding; defective or inadequate street layout; faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility, or usefulness; diversity of ownership; tax or special assessment delinquency exceeding the fair value of the land; defective or unusual conditions of title; improper subdivision or obsolete platting; existence of conditions which endanger life or property by fire or other causes; or any combination of these factors or conditions predominate, thus making the area an economic or social liability, or conducive to ill health, transmission of disease, infant mortality, juvenile delinquency, or crime, or otherwise detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, and welfare.

1. Conditions within the area meet the slum and blight criteria as set forth in HRS Section 53-1(3);

2. The area is in a commercial use, designated for a commercial use or adjacent to a commercial use;

3. Existing conditions within the area (land use pattern, condition ofbuilding stock and infrastructure systems, etc.) are such that the area could benefit from the tools that the MRA has to promote physical and economic revitalization; and

4. The area functions as an integrated unit, and is of such a scale that project implementation is practical and feasible.

Every day, residents, businesses and visitors in our county send over 14.6 million gallons ofwastewater down drains that lead to our sewer systems. This is a substantial amount for our sewer infrastructure to manage.

An excess of approximately 11.4 million gallons per day of reclaimed water is produced at County of Mauitreatment facilities. Since the County of Maui does not have sufficient storage and distribution capability to utilize all of the reclaimed wastewater produced on our islands, the excess is sent to the injection wells.

The County of Maui wastewater treatment plants and injection wells reduce the impact of human waste on the environment.

An injection well is a deeper-than-wide pipe that is placed vertically into the ground. Injection wells are located downstream of any potable water sources. The County of Maui uses Class V injection wells as a means of disposing the treated domestic, commercial and industrial wastewater that has been processed at County of Maui sewage treatment plants. The EPA estimates that there are over 1.7 million injection wells throughout the United States.

Only highly-treated wastewater goes into all of the County of Maui’s underground injection wells. The County of Maui processes this water to remove solids and contaminates to dramatically improve the water quality so that it can be reintroduced into our environment with minimal effect.

Wastewater discharged into wells is absorbed by natural geologic formations, which complete the treatment by natural filtering through rock and sand layers. When properly sited, constructed and operated, injection wells are an economical, environmentally responsible and effective tool for safe wastewater management.

The County of Maui owns and operates 18 wells: eight in Kahului, four in Lahaina, three in Kihei and three in Kaunakakai on Molokai. Seventeen of the injection wells in Maui County range in depth from 180 to 385 feet; Molokai has one that is 29 feet deep.

Except for one well on Molokai, which is located less than a mile from the Kaunakakai Wastewater Treatment Plant and monitored on a regular basis, County of Maui wells are located within our wastewater treatment plant sites to allow close monitoring of use and performance and avoid potential pumping costs that would otherwise be passed on to sewer users.

Yes. There are numerous privately-owned and operated injection wells in our county. Manyprivately-owned condominiums and businesses in areas that were built outside of existing County of Maui sewer service have their own injection well(s). Single-family homes built outside sewer service areas use cesspools or septic systems discharging minimally treated waste directly into the ground.

No. The injection wells adjacent to Maalaea are privately-owned and operated by the condominiums in the area. They are shallow compared to the County of Maui’s injection wells, and do not undergo the same level of treatment as is done in County of Maui treatment facilities.

In the mid-1970s, the County of Maui began switching over to treatment plants and injection wells, replacing pipes that discharged sewage into the ocean, in order to comply with the Clean Water Act created by the federal government to protect near-shore ocean waters.

Studies do not prove that nutrients (including nitrogen) from these wells are the sole or mostsignificant source of blooms or reef damage. While independent studies detected injection well discharge in some areas of algae blooms, other sources from rainfall runoff, reef siltation, agricultural fertilizer, over-fishing and human interaction must also be analyzed as contributing causes. It is important to thoroughly consider and identify all sources so that efforts to eliminate damage are successful.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the state Department of Health (DOH) are the regulating agencies responsible for overseeing health and safety requirements. The EPA and DOH approve well construction and issue permits. Industry standards for type, volume and quality of discharge into the wells are set by the federal and state government agencies.

Yes. All of the County of Maui’s 18 underground injection wells go through regular testing and reporting in order to verify proper well operations and maintenance. The County of Maui’s injection wells are approved by the EPA and the DOH as an environmentally sound, effective and safe disposal method.

The water sent to the injection wells at the County of Maui treatment plants looks no different than your tap water at home. In producing this water, the County of Maui goes beyond the minimum requirements set by state and federal regulators.

Our permits require that the water consist of no more than 30 mg/l of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), 30 mg/l Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and 10mg/l of Total Nitrogen. Nevertheless, our plants typically deliver water far cleaner than required. The County of Maui’s treatment plants normally produce effluent with less than 5mg/l BOD5 and TSS.

Our treatment plants use an aerobic biological process, nutrient removal and filtration. Because the water contains between 4 and 10 mg/l of Total Nitrogen (the regulatory limit is 10mg/l) - the effluent that our treatment facilities produce actually meets federal and state drinking water standards for Total Nitrogen.

Currently, 22% of our wastewater is recycled and reused for landscape, golf course andagricultural irrigation, fire control and construction dust control. It is important to note that during rainy periods less recycled wastewater is needed and therefore less utilized – resulting in a larger percentage disposed of through injection wells.

By making use of recycled water that comes from treated wastewater, potable water can beconserved.

More wastewater could be reused if there were additional pipeline infrastructure available. Because distributing recycled water requires a separate and dedicated pipeline, additional pipeline systems will need to be built and put in throughout the county in order to increase the amount of wastewater that is recycled. Any costs to plan, build and install new systems would be shouldered by county taxpayers.

Alternatives being considered around the world include expanding R-1-quality water recyclingsystems for landscape irrigation, agriculture or recreational facilities; constructing deep oceanoutfalls; directly discharging to the ocean, waterways or streams; recycling to R-0 standards for reintroduction into drinking water; developing huge ponds for natural evaporation; applying to the ground; or a combination of several of these methods. Technology for these methods exists today; however, each alternative carries varying economic, social and environmental costs that need to be considered; in most cases, the alternatives incur significant costs that must be supported by taxpayers.

Probably not. It is likely that any federal mandate will NOT be accompanied by federal funding support. Improvements and construction of additional pipelines can be expected to come from local County government through increased sewer and water usage fees.

Yes. Since the early 1990s, federal grant funding for wastewater treatment plants throughout the nation stopped, placing the burden on local governments to assess user fees to pay for operations, maintenance and replacement costs.

Wastewater facilities depend entirely on user fees and do not receive funding from the County of Maui’s general fund. Thus, any unfunded federal mandate would result in increased costs paid for by sewer system customers.

The sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include: • Microbial - viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife • Inorganic - salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring as a result of urban runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming • Pesticides or herbicides - may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, storm water runoff, and residential uses • Organic chemical - includes synthetic and volatile organics, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems • Radioactive contaminants - can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activitiesIn order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

Yes. The Department of Water Supply makes the quality of your drinking water its number one priority. To maintain our commitment to you, we routinely collect and test water samples every step of the way-from the source waters right to your home-checking purity and identifying potential problems. We monitor your drinking water according to EPA regulations to ensure that it meets all state and federal standards. Our goal is and always has been to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water.

Every week our water is tested by our certified microbiologists at the source and within the distribution system for any bacteriological contamination. Chemicals are analyzed on a timetable established by state/EPA requirements.

You can contact the County of Maui Water Supply Lab at 808-270-7550 for information about free lead testing. For more extensive testing, private labs can test your tap water for a fee. Not all labs are accredited to test for all contaminants. For information about accredited labs, call the County of Maui Water Supply Lab or the State of Hawaii Department of Health, Safe Drinking Water Branch at toll free 800-468-4644 ext. 64258.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV / AIDS or other immune disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk for infections.

These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. You may also inquire about EPA / CDC guidelines by calling the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Maui DWS water in the Upper Kula area is treated with chloramines, a disinfectant that produces fewer disinfection by-products such as trihalomethanes. As such, customers who have unique water quality needs including those who use specialized treatments such as kidney dialysis machines or fish owners should make the necessary adjustments to remove chloramines.

Home water filters are not necessary. They can be helpful if you have lead plumbing in your home or want to remove chlorine. HOWEVER, if you choose to have a water filter, it must be maintained and replaced according to manufacturer instructions. Talk to your supplier if you have questions about your filter. Maui DWS does not monitor nor oversee the use of water treatment systems on private property.

Chlorine kills organisms that may cause disease. If you choose to remove the chlorine with a filter, refrigerate the water to limit bacterial re-growth. Other alternatives include: Filling a pitcher and letting it stand in the refrigerator overnight (this is the best way), filling a glass or jar with water and letting it stand in the sunlight for 30 minutes, or heating water to approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can open all the faucets in your home until the water clears up; this will bring fresh water to your home and improve its water quality. Or if you prefer, you may call the DWS service number at 808-270-7633 to have personnel flush the dead-end main.

It is understandable to be concerned about the safety of your water when it has a milky appearance, however the most common cause of milky water is tiny air bubbles and the water is safe to drink. The air bubbles can be caused by changes in pressure as the water travels from the distribution system to your household tap; water under pressure absorbs more dissolved oxygen than water that is not pressurized. Another cause of milky water can be from air trapped in mainlines. The presence of air bubbles does not affect the safety or quality of the water. Drinking water produced by the MDWS meets all Federal and State drinking water standards and is routinely tested throughout the month to ensure its compliance. The MDWS provides two barriers of protection to ensure that the water is safe from the moment of disinfection to the delivery at your household tap.

The two barriers of protection are the maintenance of steady water pressure and the maintenance of chlorine residual throughout the system. Both pressure and chlorine residual are monitored by the MDWS staff in order to ensure that our drinking water is safe and in compliance with both Federal and State drinking water standards.

• Water Pressure: A minimum pressure of 20 psi is required by regulation and the pressure in the MDWS distribution system can range from 50-160 psi depending on location. The maintenance of pressure in the distribution system prevents outside contaminants from entering into the pipes during a leak or pipe failure.

• Chlorine Residual: A minimum chlorine residual of 0.20 mg/L chlorine is maintained and the chlorine residual in the distribution system can range from 0.5-1.5mg/L depending on location. The maintenance of a chlorine residual prevents potential microbial contamination that could occur from a loss of pressure in the pipes.

In order to get rid of the appearance of air bubbles, the best thing to do is fill a pitcher with water and let it sit open to the air until all the air bubbles have disappeared. If you have any concerns about your water please call the DWS Lab at 808-270-7550

There is a simple test you can perform to verify if the milky water is due to air bubbles. First, fill a clear glass with cold water from the tap and then set it on a counter top or table. Observe the glass, the milky appearance of the water should begin to clear from the bottom of the glass as the air bubbles rise to the top of the glass. After several minutes most of the air bubbles will have disappeared and the water should look clear.

Rain catchment testing is provided by the state through an accredited lab for a fee. For information about catchment systems and catchment system water testing contact the Dept. of Health Safe Drinking Water Branch toll free at 800-468-4644 ext. 64258 or go to http://health.hawaii.gov/sdwb/raincatchment/

The University of Hawaii also provides extensive information on rain catchment systems as well as provides home testing kits for a fee. For more information, call 808-329-2861 or visit http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/hawaiianrain/index/htmlUniversity of Hawaii - Rain Catchment Systems

• Radon - Radon is a naturally-occurring radioactive gas that you cannot see, taste, or smell. It is found all over the U.S.A. It can move from the ground into a home through cracks and holes in foundations. Compared to radon entering the home through soil, radon from tap water will be a very small source of radon in indoor air.• Disinfection By-Products-During disinfection, certain by-products form as a result of chemical reactions between chlorine and naturally-occurring organic matter in the water. The disinfection process is carefully controlled and monitored so that it remains effective, while keeping the levels of disinfection by-products low.

Lead is not detectable in the DWS system. It comes from lead-based solder, lead service lines, brass faucets, and bronze components. It is mainly found in older homes (pre-1986) where lead-based solder was used, or in homes in which high lead brass fixtures were used in plumbing systems.

New fixtures can also leach lead. Regardless of the age of your home, you should get your water tested at the DWS Laboratory to find out for sure if your plumbing is leaching lead. The testing is free for Upcountry customers. Call (808) 270-7550 for more information. More information on lead and copper

Check out the conservation page for a handful of articles on how you can conserve water. Also, you can call the Water Resources & Planning Division at 463-3110 and leave a message on the recorder. Water conservation information

The earthy or musty taste or odor in drinking water in the Upcountry district is caused by an increase in the existence of Geosmin and MIB (2-methyl isoborneol). These compounds are naturally occurring and are produced by the decaying of leaves and other organic material.

Geosmin produces an odor similar to overturned rich soils and is present in foods such as beets, spinach, and mushrooms. MIB are naturally occurring compounds found in surface waters as organic molecules produced by algae. The substances are detectable by the human nose even at very low concentrations, and some individuals are extremely sensitive to Geosmin. Neither compounds are harmful to people.

While the taste and odor can be unpleasant, Geosmin and MIB are not toxic or harmful. The water remains safe to drink. On-going testing will be conducted to ensure safe drinking water. Current testing continues to show an absence of harmful bacteria and other pathogens in the water.

The water supplied by the Department of Water Supply to Upcountry residents continues to meet all Federal and State drinking water standards and remains safe to drink based on on-going water treatment processes and water quality results.

The increase of Geosmin and MIB stems from a decrease in the flow of surface water in Upcountry ditches, resulting in a decrease in the level of aeration. This decrease in the flow of water is due to HC&S stopping its usage of water for irrigation. The slower moving water becomes stagnant, resulting in a different odor and taste for consumers, even after it goes through the county's water treatment process.

Geosmin and MIB may be absorbed by fish and produce an off-taste or odor. However, it is not toxic to fish or other aquatic life. Aquarium owners can filter their water through an activated carbon filter, ozone or UV system to reduce the Geosmin and MIB levels further if this is a concern.

The Maui Department of Water Supply employs accountants, engineers, clerical personnel, pipefitters, microbiologists, heavy equipment operators, mechanics, water treatment plant operators and more. The department hires the most qualified candidates for each of our positions. If you have what it takes and are interested in a career with the Department of Water Supply, check with the County of Maui's Department of Personnel Services to see the current list of continuous recruitment vacancies. The Department of Personnel Services handles recruitments for all vacancies for the Department of Water Supply. Job openings are posted in the Personnel Services office, located at Ka Lana O Maui, 200 S. High Street, Wailuku, HI 96793, on the 6th floor. Openings are also advertised with local newspapers, including the Maui News. County positions are also listed with America's Job Bank. Employment Opportunities

How much water do I need? Consumers should ensure a safe supply of water for emergency use, by storing at least two (2) quarts of water per person per day that you expect an emergency to last. In other words, a supply of two gallons of water per person should last for 4 days. Don't forget to have some water on hand for your pets.

Don't wait to store water supplies. It would be wise to clean containers you will be using to store water ahead of time. Once you have been advised to store water, it would be best not to wait until the last minute, as many other people will be trying to draw water at the same time.

How can I disinfect my water for drinking?

If the water system did not have any main breaks or loss of water pressure, the water quality can generally be assumed to be safe for drinking. Otherwise, any water that will used for drinking, cooking, or brushing the teeth should be properly disinfected before use.

Consumers should listen to the radio for advisories on the areas where water has become contaminated and unsafe to drink. Follow directions and advisories from the Maui Department of Water Supply, Civil Defense, or the Department of Health on disinfecting water and/or the location of alternative water supplies.

Should there be any concerns over the safety of the potable water, the following may be considered for disinfecting water:

Heat and strain the water through a clean cloth into a container to remove any sediment or floating matter. Boil the water vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes. Allow the water to cool. The flat taste caused by boiling is easily removed by adding a pinch of salt to each quart of boiled water or pour the water back and forth from one clean container to another.

Chemical Treatment

When boiling water is not possible, chemical disinfection should be used. The two chemicals commonly used are chlorine or iodine. Strain the water as in step #1 above and purify with chlorine or iodine as follows:

Chlorine - Any household bleach solution (plain, not scented) that contains hypochlorite may be used for disinfection. The strength is given on the label; use the following to determine the amount of chlorine to add per quart of water.

The treated water should be mixed thoroughly and allowed to stand for 30 minutes. The water should have a slight chlorine odor, if not, repeat the dosage and allow the water to stand for an additional 15 minutes. If the treated water has too strong a chlorine taste, it can be made palatable by allowing the water to stand exposed to the air for a few hours or by pouring it from one clean container to another several times. Iodine - Common household iodine from the medicine chest or first aid kit package may be used to disinfect water. Add five (5) drops of 2% United States Pharmacopeia (U.S.P.) tincture of Iodine to each quart of clear water. For turbid water add 10 drops and let the solution stand for at least 30 minutes.

In general, the Department's hours of operation are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays (Monday through Friday). At the the Kalana O Maui Building in Wailuku, the Customer Service Front Window on the 2nd Floor is open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., and 5th Floor Front Window is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays. The Department is closed on weekends and holidays. For a breakdown of the hours of operation by division, click on the link Water Hours of Operation. Water Hours of Operation

No. DWS is a non-profit County of Maui department. The DWS budget is completely funded through the rates charged for water services provided to customers. Rates are approved by the Mayor and County Council. The Department does not receive any tax revenues.

Check out the glossary page. There you will find a listing, in alphabetical order, of the Department's most commonly used terms and their definitions. If you are still confused or can't find the term you are looking for, you can always call customer service at (808)270-7730. Glossary of water terms

If you live in Upcountry Maui, your water is surface water from the streams in East Maui. It's treated and disinfected at one of our three water treatment facilities (Kamole, Piiholo, Olinda) before it's delivered to your home. Customers in Haiku get their water from the Haiku or Kaupakalua wells and/or the Kamole WTF. For Central Maui (Kahului, Wailuku, Waihee, Maalaea, Kihei, and Paia) your water is groundwater from the Iao Aquifer under the West Maui Mountains. That water is naturally filtered by lava rocks, disinfected, and sent to your home. A small amount of filtered surface water is added to the Central System at the Iao WTF. Hana and Molokai also use groundwater. Lahaina has a mix of surface water and groundwater. The water treatment facilities for West Maui are located above Lahainaluna School and near the Kapalua Airport.

Yes. Maui water meets or is better than all standards set by the federal and state governments. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Hawaii State Department of Health require the Department of Water Supply to test the water regularly to make sure it's safe. Take a look at our Water Quality Reports. They tell you about the source of your water, show any detected contaminants or elements in the water and ensure you that your drinking water meets all safe drinking water standards. To ensure that your tap water is safe to drink, the EPA sets maximum limits on the amount of certain contaminants in public water systems. If you are concerned about your water quality, you may request more information or a water quality test. Just give the DWS Laboratory a call at 270-7550. DWS Water Quality Reports

All water has its own unique taste and odor characteristics. Maui, like many other water suppliers, occasionally experiences taste and odor changes. Based on the different minerals found in minute quantities in certain aquifers, the taste of the water may vary. Taste and odor problems can also come from new or old pipelines, plumbing fixtures, or changes in water quality. Customers may notice changes during severe storms with heavy rain, when reservoir water levels are low, or during temperature changes and hot weather. These changes do not affect the safety of the water. Flushing the water can solve this problem. As a general practice, water should be flushed in the morning or when not used for 6 to 8 hours.

Chlorine is added to the water as a disinfectant. It is used to protect you from any harmful bacteria that may be present in the water. If you do not like the taste of chlorine, put some water in a container and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.

Milky water is usually due to air bubbles trapped in the pipe lines. Let the water stand in a glass for several minutes. The water becomes clear from the bottom up if air is the cause. This water is safe to drink. Flush all the taps in your home to clear the lines.

Hardness is measured in mg/L (milligrams per liter). Any reading over 75 mg/L is considered as hard water. Surface water is generally soft water. Makawao, Pukalani, Lower Kula, and Upper Kula have soft water between 17 to 69 mg/L. Ground (well) water here on Maui is usually 51 to 171 mg/L.

Because the water for the Upcountry area is from streams. When it stops raining, the stream flow stops, too. Droughts are a part of the regular climate cycle, and occur every 3 to 4 years. The Department of Water Supply is currently endeavoring to mitigate the effects caused when we experience a drought by the integration of ground water sources from East Maui as an alternative supply. Additionally the Department is in the process of investigating the feasibility of constructing additional storage reservoirs to meet peak demand during droughts. These reservoirs are very expensive as well as environmentally controversial. The County of Maui State Legislative package for this year contains two million dollars for this purpose. Without State funds, we would not have the storage that we currently have. Check out the drought page for updates. Current Upcountry Water Levels

Since 1999, the water supplied to the Upcountry area has been in compliance with EPA and Hawaii State Department of Health regulations. The last notice was mailed out in March 1999. See the Water Quality Report page and go the Upcountry section to see current water quality in that area. DWS Water Quality Reports

The Department of Environmental Management is responsible for wastewater reuse/reclamation (recycled water) for the County of Maui. You may call Steve Parabicoli directly at (808) 270-7426 for more information about re-used (recycled) water. Dept. of Environmental Management - Wastewater

The Department Environmental Management is responsible for wastewater in the County of Maui. This Department is in charge of all sewer issues, wastewater and pumping facilities, wastewater collection lines, and cesspool pumping. Please call the Wastewater Reclamation Division at 270-7417 for more information about wastewater. Dept. of Environmental Management - Wastewater

Call the Maui County Department of Water Supply (DWS) Customer Service Representatives at 270-7730. Or stop by our Front Window on the 5th Floor of the Kalana O Maui Building, located at 200 South High Street in Wailuku. The Front Window is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays, and closed on weekends and holidays. See the customer service page for much more information on specific topics. Fiscal Division, Customer Service

Your account number identifies you and your property address in our customer billing system. Please use this number whenever you contact us with questions about your account. You can find your account number on the first line of the top portion of your water bill. See the diagram on the How To Read Your Water Bill page for the exact location of this number. How to Read a Water Bill

For all areas, direct operations trouble calls to 270-7633 (24 hrs). This includes calls requesting emergency water turn-off, reporting a water meter leak, a water main break, or a fire hydrant leak. You may also call this number for emergency problems with water quality and low water pressure.

First, call Customer Service at 270-7730. You must be the property owner and you'll need your tax map key and lot number. Also, you will need to know the name of your subdivision if it is an approved subdivision.

If your property is not in an approved subdivision, you'll be referred to the Engineering Division. An engineer will check if any improvements are necessary before water service can be established. Call 270-7835 for more information.

If no improvements are necessary, you can come in and apply for a water meter. The engineer will guide you in what you need to do.

Your meter is probably located within the property boundary fronting your house. It is usually in a box. If you cannot find your meter or have a locked meter box, please call (808)270-7730. How to read your water meter

Payment of your water bill can be done in one of three ways. You may mail the top portion of your water bill along with your payment to the following address:

Department of Water SupplyCounty of Maui200 South High StreetWailuku, HI 96793-2155

To ensure that your account is properly credited, please write your account number on your check (you can find your account number on your bill). Make checks payable to: Department of Water Supply.

Secondly, you can bring your bill and payment in person to the cashier window in the lobby of the Kalana O Maui Building, located at 200 South High Street in Wailuku. The Front Window is open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on weekdays, and closed on weekends and holidays.

And finally, you may pay at any Department of Water Supply Baseyard (Lahaina, Hana, Molokai) or at the Maui County Service Center at the Maui Mall in Kahului, providing you pay the minimum amount due on or before the DATE DUE. You must have a complete bill (top and bottom portion). The Service Center drop box accepts CHECKS ONLY.

To avoid late payment charges, please allow sufficient time for your payment to reach us by the PAYMENT MUST REACH US BY date.

If you have specific questions about your water bill, please direct them to our Customer Service Representatives at 270-7730 or stop by the office.

Your bill is based on how much water passes through your meter -- so whether it's used or wasted, you pay for every drop. That's why it is so important to use water wisely. Maui County water is actually the least expensive out of the four County water suppliers in the State. The average family on Maui pays less than $2.00 per 1,000 gallons of water delivered to their home. That's less than ½ ¢ per gallon. Please call Customer Service at 270-7730 if you have further questions.

The monthly Water Service Charge ranges from $9.25 for a 5/8" meter to $650.00 for an 8" meter. This fee goes to read, maintain and replace the customer's water meter. This allows the customer to have water service available at anytime. See the diagram on the How To Read Your Water Bill page for the exact location of this charge. More...

The County of Maui is required by the Clean Water Act (enforced by the State of Hawaii and the US Environmental Protection Agency) to treat wastewater before returning it to the environment. This process is typically more difficult, time consuming and expensive to perform than producing normal drinking water from aquifers, streams or wells.

Your sewer bill reflects your household's fair share cost of this treatment and consists of a base charge and an amount that correlates to the volume of water consumed. The rate on this consumed volume is set to account for the fact that significant amounts of water go to landscape irrigation or other uses that do not enter the sewer system.

The Department of Environmental Management establishes the rates for the sewer portion of your bill while the Department of Water Supply only handles the collection of these charges. Please go to the link below or call the Wastewater Reclamation Division at 270-7420 if you would like more information about the sewer portion of your bill. (Note: If you reside in an area that is not serviced by one of the County Wastewater Reclamation Facilities, this fee will not appear on your bill.)Dept. of Environmental Management - Wastewater

Wastewater is the used water that goes down the drains inside of our houses and businesses, collected in our sewer systems and transported to Wastewater Reclamation Facilities. The sewer portion of your bill pays the costs associated with cleaning wastewater and returning it to the environment safely and responsibly. Please contact the Department of Environmental Management Wastewater Reclamation Division at 270-7417 for more information on wastewater processing or sewer billings. Dept. of Environmental Management - Wastewater